Fall and Winter Festivals—a Writer’s Smorgasbord

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan
Fall festivals have their origins in pagan times. Known as Harvest Festival, it’s one of the oldest and most traditional festivals, taking place at the time of the Harvest Moon or when the harvest is over. Prior to Victorian times, farmers would lay on a harvest feast, where a corn dolly might be given a place of honor and hung up in hope of a good harvest the following year. Some harvesters felt it was bad luck to cut the last stalk of corn standing. Farms would compete, racing to finish first. 
In Sugar Hill, where I live, has a Fall festival called Sugar Rush (isn’t that a great name?.) It is a time to gather downtown to celebrate Fall with the Arts. It includes street vendors, food, and our volunteer groups, like the Women’s Club and my Community Theatre troupe, host booths. One can indulge in face painting, try various crafts, listen to live music, and just enjoy the festival. This year to the delight of children of all ages, the city placed 20 skeletons climbing all over the Eagle Theatre. One was 10 feet tall. 
But my favorite of all celebrations is the Christmas Celebration our city hosts. We have an outdoor ice-skating rink (November to March), live performances in the amphitheater, street performers, carolers, the lighting of the town Christmas tree, and of course Santa Claus (aka Bill Harting). 
Our main street is only a single block long with City Hall at one end and the e-Center (retail, offices and a gym) at the other end. So every available empty space has a lighted photo opportunity. It’s a wonderland of lights, my personal favorite of all Christmas décor. 
I’ve gleaned many ideas to include in stories from festivals. So many people in one place—it’s a writer’s smorgasbord! I used the voice memo app on my phone to capture my thoughts and the camera to capture photos of those thoughts.
Now it’s your turn. What’s your favorite tradition at festivals, whether Fall or Christmas?
TWEETABLEFall and Winter Festivals—a Writer’s Smorgasbord, thoughts from author @AneMulligan on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Ane Mulligan has been a voracious reader ever since her mom instilled within her a love of reading at age three, escaping into worlds otherwise unknown. But when Ane saw Mary Martin in PETER PAN, she was struck with a fever from which she never recovered—stage fever. She submerged herself in drama through high school and college. Years later, her two loves collided, and a bestselling, award-winning novelist emerged. She resides in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband and a rascally Rottweiler. Find Ane on her website, Amazon Author page, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and The Write Conversation.
Featured Image: Photo by Almos Bechtold on Unsplash