Fall In Love With Our Fall
With Cleveland designated as a Tree City USA, vivid bursts of color are all over the city during Fall. Add winding country roads and the neighboring Cherokee National Forest and our region showcases some of the most beautiful fall scenery in the South. The peak color times have been hitting around the last weekend in October and first weekend in November, but peak times vary with elevation as you travel through the valleys and mountains.
Harvest time at Apple Valley Orchard is in full swing, with a market featuring apple varieties, canned goods and pastries – like those famous fried apple pies mentioned in Southern Living magazine. Southern Living online called Apple Valley the best orchard in Tennessee. Tours of the orchard are available with reservations. You can even celebrate the apple at the annual Cleveland Apple Festival, always the middle of October on the Courthouse Square in Historic Downtown Cleveland.
Another popular Fall harvest is the grapes and muscadines at Morris Vineyard & Winery. Visit one of the most beautiful views in Bradley County and enjoy tasting award-winning wines. You can also plan to pick your own fruit, a great family experience!
The International Cowpea Festival and Cook-off is the “Harvest Festival with the Funny Name!” Always the second Saturday in September, this unique festival held in Charleston, Tennessee, celebrates the tiny, protein-rich legume called the cowpea. Charleston was once the “Cowpea Capital of the World” growing and exporting large amounts of black-eyed peas, crowder peas, purple-hulls, field peas and other varieties of cowpeas. When the train came through Charleston in the 1850’s, people called it the “pea train” since so many peas were shipped off to markets via the train. This annual event, sponsored by Bush Brothers & Company, draws thousands and features a Cowpea Cook-off, live music, children’s activities and handmade arts and crafts. www.cowpeafestival.com
Lee University Homecoming features a music festival the Homecoming basketball game, anniversary reunions for campus organizations, traditional class reunions, a full drama production and much more. Call 423-614-8000 for more details.
The Black Bear Rampage is a 42 mile mountain bike race utilizing the best trails of the Tanasi Trail System in the Cherokee National Forest. Sponsored by Scott’s Bicycle Centre of Cleveland, TN. Call 423-472-9881 for more information.
NRHA World Show is the final show of the season for the National Racking Horse Association and features the world champions being crowned. Call the Tri-State Exhibition Center for more information, 423-476-9310.
Chattanooga Kennel Club All Breed AKC features over 900 dogs, large and small breed competition. Contact the Tri-State Exhibition Center for more information, 423-476-9310.
The Cleveland Half Marathon is an annual race organized by Terra Running Company which leads runners through the charming downtown of Cleveland and beyond. Call 423-790-7901 for more information. www.clevelandhalf.com
The Fort Hill Cemetery Tour features actors in period costume standing graveside of community members passed and play the role of the person using research from Lee University students and the Bradley County Historical Society. Last Sunday in October.
Spirits, Legend and Lore features seasoned storytellers offering tales of yesteryear – some based on fact, some on imagination, all intriguing. The event is coordinated by Art is Here Partnership. Call the Chamber for tickers. 423-472-6587.
The MainStreet Cleveland Halloween Black Party is a safe alternative to trick-or-treating held in Downtown Cleveland on Halloween night. Various community organizations set up food vendor booths complemented by two stages of live music, candy and games for the kids and a costume contest. Admission is free. www.mainstreetcleveland.com
Check out our calendar of events to see what is happening in Cleveland, Charleston and surrounding areas.
