CHANGING WITH THE SEASON: Autumn brings seasonal festivities

By HEATHER C. COX
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com 

Some would identify fall as a time when leaves change from green to red and gold and eventually fall from the highest boughs of the tallest trees. Ideally, the sun would shine nostalgia and the wind would blow with a sweet, raw crispness. Autumn in South Texas, however, might not be so obvious.

For the US and Canada, the Autumnal Equinox or the September equinox occurred on September 22, marking the first official day of fall. This occurs the moment the sun crosses the celestial equator – the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s equator – from north to south, and on this day, the length of day is almost exactly equal to the length of night.

For some, there is perhaps a distinctive change of seasons from summer to autumn, a change that evokes a feeling: it’s time for seasonal festivities. Churches will have fall festivals and carnivals, bazaars and fairs. For instance, First Baptist Church in Rio Hondo held a fall family-friendly event last Saturday, September 22. There were cakes, hotdogs and drinks available free of charge, and booths with games were set up where kids could win prizes.

On October 13, the San Benito Chamber of Commerce will host the Rio Grande Valley Family Outdoor Expo where “There will be a great variety of activities and lots of family fun,” according to the chamber. This is a new event to the San Benito area expected to be a festive family event for South Texas. For more information, call the chamber at (956) 399-5321.

The much anticipated Conjunto Music Festival, a worldwide attraction, also occurs during autumn and is held in San Benito. This year, the festival dates are set for October 19-21 at Plaza de San Benito, on 225 E. Stenger. This annual festival showcases the best talent in traditional conjunto music, as made popular by conjunto music legend Narciso Martinez.

From trick-or-treating festivities to eating too many candied apples and spending hours finding or making the perfect costume, Halloween holds different meanings and can be celebrated in a number of ways, but one consideration for some with small children is the potential danger involved in walking door to door in a community.

The City of San Benito is doing its part to help keep the streets a little safer on Halloween night by hosting an authorized, controlled enforcement predator meeting of registered sex offenders from 6-10 p.m. The session has a mission of keeping registered sex predators off the streets during festive Halloween night. Participants will include the City of San Benito Police Department, the Cameron County Probation Department and other law enforcement agencies that may require a meeting location on this date.

Of course, for some the ultimate fall celebration is Thanksgiving Day, which is observed the fourth Thursday in November. This is typically a day of being thankful for the blessings in one’s life and a time to share with loved ones. Some choose to celebrate traditionally, which can include a hearty meal of turkey, cranberry relish, stuffing and pumpkin pie while others might take a different approach entirely.

Here are three fun tips to help make autumn more fun.

1. Incorporate rich, warm flavors into your cooking/baking. Blending pumpkin and gingerbread flavors into foods and beverages not only gives a wonderful aroma to your kitchen but will also make a memorable dessert for family and friends this holiday season.

2. Add more warm foods to your diet. To counteract the dry, windy, cold climate of autumn, start adding more warming, comforting foods to your daily diet. Try vegetable soups for lunch or a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.

3. Start a simple but elegant home décor project. To make an elegant fall wreath, purchase a grapevine or twig wreath from a craft store (under $5), decorate with backyard findings like twigs and interesting leaves, which you can spray paint gold for an elegant effect.

Read this story in the September 30 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.