Oktoberfestivals - October to many means attending the largest folk fest in the world - Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany; with more than 7 million annual visitors over the 16-day festival. The majority of the visitors are from Europe, however 15% and growing are from destinations around the globe.

Only beer conforming to the Reinheitsgebot (purity order 1516 Bavarian Law), and brewed within the city limits of Munich, can be served at the Munich Oktoberfest. Beer meeting these criteria are designated Oktoberfest Beer and an estimated 8 million liters will be enthusiastically consumed. Only six Munich breweries may produce Oktoberfest beer to be sold at the festival; Augustiner-Bräu, Hacker-Pschorr-Bräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, Spatenbräu, and Staatliches Hofbräu-München.

Murfreesboro is home to a few breweries, and while we may not have authentic Munich Oktoberfest beer, you will have guaranteed authentic Murfreesboro Octoberfest libations. If you look at a map, many local breweries are withing just a few miles from one another, well worth a Libation tour with a designated driver. Start at Mayday on Old Salem Road, then go to Panther Creek Brews on Main Street, travel down yonder to Deep South on Northfield, then get on down the road to The Next Level in Smyrna.

Other Tennessee Oktoberfest festivities are Oktoberfest at Ober in Gatlinburg from Sept. 24 to Oct. 31. Ober Gatlinburg hosts this festival with Bavarian-style food, Oktoberfest biers and live music. Entertainment includes Bavarian folk dances, schuhplattling, oompah music, sing-a-longs, and yodels. Location: Ober at Gatlinburg Resort.

Schulz Brau Brewing Oktoberfest is in Knoxville from Sept. 18 to Oct. 3 and features Oktoberfest Märzen in real 1 Liter mugs (34oz), authentic German pretzels, Schnitzel, and of course the iconic Lebkuchenherzen (gingerbread hearts).

Crossville Oktoberfest from Oct 15 to Oct. 16 is an annual festival hosted by the Crossville Knights of Columbus Council 8152 with live music, and both domestic and imported beverages. German food includes pork schnitzel, kasseler rippchen, bratwursts, knackwursts, weisswursts. Admission is $6 in advance and $8 at the door. Children under 13 get in free. Held the third weekend in October every year at the Crossville Knights of Columbus property on Highway 70. Attendance is approximately 2000. Location: 2892 Hwy 70 East, Crossville, TN 38555

Pumpkins – October also means pumpkins. We do love our pumpkins, we carve them, eat them, and display them. We love to decorate our homes with the warmth of Fall and this means pumpkins.

Attending pumpkin patches festivals is a right of childhood passage, and the best in town is an annual adventure to Lucky Ladd Farms in Eagleville. This working farm hosts a worldwind of adventures for all ages. Pumpkin patches, hay rides, a corn maze, petting zoo, fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits, summer camps, wagon rides, gem mining, mega slides, pony rides, birthday parties, adult adventures and tours. This is a bucket list must visit each Fall for all ages. Lucky Ladd Farms is located at 4374 Rocky Glade Road, Eagleville, open to the public three days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ticket prices range for activities, and can be found on their website luckyladdfarms.com, or contact the farm 615.274.3786.

Lucky Ladds Pumpkin Festival is every Saturday in October.

Pumpkin Spice – All things Pumpkin Spice; creamer, puree, pies, pies and more pies, seeds, coffee creamer, rolls, popcorn, cold brew coffee, caramel corn, bundt cakes, cupcakes, whipped cream, bagels, Cheerios, almonds, loaf cake, candles, cake rolls, ginger pumpkins snaps, butternut pumpkins ravioli, pumpkin fruit bowls, pumpkin cider, pumpkin cream cheese, pumpkin martinis, coffee syrup, Starbucks, soap, potpourri, lotion, pancakes, horchata, room spray, Jell-o, donuts, caramels, marshmellows, Oreos, maple syrup, waffles, twinkies, cappuccino, M&M’s, Pop Tarts, Ben & Jerry’s, granola, yogurt, mini wheats, bread, hummus, tea, Milano cookies, Kool-Aid, cinnamon rolls, peanut butter, pretzels, biscotti, hot cocoa, fettuccini, Kit Kats, Pepsi, Frosted Flakes, chips, candy, Peeps, Skittles, beer, oatmeal, apple sauce, yogurt, Chapstick, lipstick, White Claw.

Oh, and did I mention pie? All available locally at Aldi, Wal-Mart, Kroger, Public, Walgreens, Ulta, and Bed, Bath, and Body Works.

I did see an advertisement for pumpkin spice hot dogs, Irish Spring soap, burritos, salsa, gum, ramen, cigarillos, pepto, bologna, toothpaste, listerine, pop rocks and SPAM. GROSS!!!! Sometimes too much is really too much. I didn’t try any of those.

I do love the room spray in pumpkin spice, makes the rooms smell like I am cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

My favorite pumpkin spice is my sweetest Gunther, my ginger dachshund, he is ginger from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail and is my most precious Gunther pumpkin spice.….and yes Honey, I did find a Pumpkin Spice Golf Ball in orange.

Pumpkin Spiced Pucker – Get your Pumpkin Pucker, made by Too Faced and in a delicious melted matte finish, it is vegan, and gluten free. In the $20-$30 price range, may be found locally at Ulta or online. There is also a Pumpkin liquid made by Kylie cosmetics which is rich and decadent. Available through Amazon.com

Children playing in leaves – Crip air, raking leaves, and making a huge pile. Then get a running start and run through the leaves, be buried in the leaves, smells Fall in the leaves. There is nothing like childhood games to make one’s life more clear.

Halloween Candy – There is so much to love about all our favorite candies packed in mini sizes which are perfect for the purse and the lunch pail, especially Snickers. Can you have too much Halloween candy, well of course. If you do have too much, please don’t send it to school with your children. Teachers need to teach, and kids on a sugar rush are challenged.

Candy Corn – What is it about this 100% sugar snack that we just love. I love the flavor, that it seems to only be available in the fall, and the smell is delicious. I just love candy corn.

Fall Foods – We seem to go from fresh strawberries and watermelon to chili and soup pretty fast, but how much fun it all is to the pallet. There always seems to be a soup or chili cook off somewhere. Cookin to Build will be on the square November 6^th, more to come about that in the November issue, but what about October, where do we find the best of the best?

Check out the Alley on Main for Gumbo, thick rich bisque soups to warm your belly and your soul, and if you can’t get by the Alley on Main, I have a little secret for you, order ahead and get it to go. If that does not work, go by Publix Deli for potato, vegetable, chili clam chowder, and more. Great soup at a family friendly price, and there is always a Publix on the way home.

Butter Nut Squash Soup – So easy and healthy. Take two large butter Nut squash, cut in half and take out the seeds. Set the seeds aside for later. Set your oven at 350 degrees. Set the squash skin side down on a metal cookie sheet with a few cups of water and steam the squash in the oven till fork soft. When done, take out and cool. When cool, core out the squash taking the skin off. Take the meat of the squash and place in a food processor or blender and add one can of condensed milk, salt to taste, nutmeg to taste, and black pepper to taste. If you like, take the seeds, wash them off, place in the oven on 350 degrees, salt and pepper to taste, and bake them. Use them as a garnish for your soup. So easy and so good. I enjoy this hot or cold. Nothing in it is bad for us, and it is healthy comfort food. Freezes great.

Halloween Decorated Cookies – so much fun and a sugar cookie is a perfect canvas for art work. Roll out your favorite sugar cookie recipe, make some fun colors of royal icing, and pipe away your favorite ghouls. Mine are ghosts, pumpkins, and Frankenstein’s. They don’t have to be beautiful, but I bet they will be delicious.

Halloween Cake Pops- You don’t have to be a chef to make a perfect cake pop, and these are so much fun to make with children outside in the Fall because you get a little messy, and you can rinse the hands outside. The first I ever made were eyeballs, then I graduated to pumpkins and ghosts. Here is how easy it is. Make a cake or buy a store made undecorated cake. Take the cake and crumble it up. Add one container of premade icing and mush it all up with your hands. Roll your cake and icing mixture into balls about meatball/golf ball size. Take candy coating which you can buy at any grocery store, I get mine at Aldi in white or chocolate. Warm up the candy coating in the microwave or use a double boiler method till it is a silky liquid. Take a stick, dip into candy coating then stick it into the meatball/golf ball size cake pop you made, this is the glue portion. Then roll and dip your stick and ball in the liquid, pull out while warm and wet, then decorate. Place on a plate when done. So easy I can do it alone and unsupervised.

Bon Fires – Well it is probably no secret that I love a good bon fire. Being raised with many Boy Scouts, I learned many things, and I certainly learned how to make fire. It is a good time to sit and reflect upon the day, hang out with friends, roast a marshmallow or three, and embrace the season. Always use caution and have a fire extinguisher and or watering hose (that is turned on) for safety. Also, check local ordinances for laws pertaining to an open burn.

Fall Flowers – Sunflowers, carnations, mums, mums, and more mums. I love flowers and the local farmers market should have loads of them. Our local florist shops are already brimming with the colors of Fall. Flowers on or around your porch offer and welcome to visitors, and inside makes the home feel homey and loving. If allergic, Old Time Pottery offers a huge variety of fall flowers, loose and in arrangements for indoor and outdoor use.

Halloween Parties – Dressing up, playing games, corn mazes, haunted houses, trick or treating, and so much more. All the childhood games are fun for the little ones, but for the big ones too. Get a group together and have a fright night, go to a costume party, enjoy being a kid for the one night a year where you can wear that Wonder Woman costume, and everyone will smile rather than run from you.

Mayday Brewery in Murfreesboro is having their annual Brews and Boo’s on October 29^th beginning at 7:00 PM. Ozzy will sure to be in an exciting costume to impress, and he throws amazing gatherings.

Coconut Bay on Stone Rover Mall Blvd will be hosting their annual Halloween Party on October 30^th beginning at 7:00 PM. Look out for Willy Cannon as he always goes all out decorating the restraint and himself into a Halloween fright night spectacular.

Halloween night – I love handing out candy and treats to the neighborhood children. As our neighborhood has matured, we don’t have too many any longer, so I especially get excited when the door bell rings. Although there are not too many trick or Treaters, I decorate the house for all the little ones, not too scary, just enough to make it all fun.

October 2021 National Events

• Breast Cancer Awareness Month
• National Book Month
• Homecoming
• Mental Illness Awareness Month
• National Dental Hygiene Month
• National Book Month
• Photographer Appreciation Month
• Dyslexia Awareness Month
• Domestic Violence Awareness Month
• American Pharmacist's Month
• Bullying Prevention Month
• Crime Prevention Month
• Principals Month
• Physical Therapy Month
• 1st World Smile Day
• 3rd-9th Fire Prevention Week
• 4th - 10th Mental Illness Awareness Week
• 4th - 10th Healthcare Supply Chain Week
• 4th - 10th Healthcare Food Service Week
• 4th Children's Health Day
• 4th Improve Your Office Day
• 5th - 9th Customer Service Week
• 11th Indigenous peoples' Day
• 11th Columbus Day
• 16th Boss's Day
• 16th World Food Day
• 11th -17th Emergency Nurses Week
• 16th National Mammography Day
• 16th - 22nd International Infection Prevention Week
• 18th - 24th Pharmacy Week
• 18th-22nd National School Bus Safety Week
• 23rd - 31st Red Ribbon Week
• 25th - 31st National Respiratory Care Week
• 24th United Nations Day
• 31st Halloween

I hope you have enjoyed Cynthia’s Favorite Things – The October (Funtober) Issue. If you would like to be a part of Cynthia’s Favorite Things the November Issue, please contact me at cynthialynnjones@att.net.