Crimson leaves of all shades come together to create a beautiful brown and gold foliage like no other, only to fall majestically through the crisp air to their solemn graves. Or, to be swept up for hours only to get thrown back in the air by your little brother or sister and their friend. Shorter days with less sunshine hinting at the coming winter urging you to spend as many hours in the daylight as you can. Which isn’t difficult given the endless amount of fall activities to engage in such as hayrides, corn mazes, haunted houses, football games, and tons more.

For me, going apple picking with your family as the leaves crunch beneath your feet as you try to find the perfect one to bake into your pie later that night are some of the best memories. And who can forget carving pumpkins? With such a variety of possibilities, you always think you will make the best one, but it ends up mediocre like every other year, and yet you couldn’t be more proud to put it on your porch.

Being an October baby, raised in the oak and maple filled area of New England, the autumn is when I truly come alive all over again, both figuratively and literally. I’ve always connected the fall to the “Harry Potter” novels, because of Harry’s excitement for his return to Hogwarts, and since we both looked forward to a magical place with beautiful scenery. Although we both faced the challenges a new school year can hold, it was didn’t seem too bad accompanied by our best friends. When Harry looked forward to play Quidditch as his friends watched after some butterbeer, I looked forward to autumn afternoon football games with my friends and some cold beer. It’s that time of year you open your drawer full of scarves to mix and match with your warm fall attire. Fashion icon Marilyn Monroe once said, “Designers wanted me to dress like Spring, in billowing things. I don’t feel like Spring. I feel like a warm red Autumn.”

Autumn has the beauty of spring, endless activities of the summer, and the lingering cold of the winter. Indeed there is no season like autumn especially in picturesque New England. Saying farewell to summer can be bittersweet in some aspects, with vacation ending for some, and winter coming for others. Overall, however, I believe Autumn is the most lively season, with a wonderful mix of festive traditions, beautiful weather and of course, the paramount fashion.