Winter entertaining is characterized by holiday parties. Spring entertaining revolves around festive brunches, and summer entertaining often involves picnics, barbecues and pool parties. So how should we celebrate during the autumn? Outdoor entertaining is a viable option. In fact, I so love the crispness in the air during the fall, that I look forward to creating several different equations for autumn outdoor entertaining.
Chill in the Air + Crackling Bonfire = Autumn Outdoor Entertaining
Enjoy a cool, fall evening by creating a blazing bonfire and sharing it with friends. You can fill the evening with conversation, campfire songs, ghost stories, stargazing or games. You can add F&B by making s'mores, old-fashioned campfire popcorn, baked apples, hot chocolate or hot, spiced cider.
Colorful Fallen Leaves + Many Teenagers + Many Rakes = Autumn Outdoor Entertaining
Create a fun weekend afternoon for your teenager and her friends. You supply the rakes, fallen leaves, yard waste bags, beverages and oven fresh cookies. The kids supply the manpower to rake and bag your yard. What a perfect win/win situation!
Beautiful Fall Foliage + Forested Area + Good Walking Shoes = Autumn Outdoor Entertaining
Lead a group of your friends and colleagues on an autumn hike. Select your favorite park, arboretum, or nature preserve and navigate a path through the highest points of color. Don't forget your cameras (you can use the photos from this trip during your Thanksgiving downtime), and bring a Thermos or two filled with your favorite hot beverage.
Robust Pumpkins + Excited Children + Creativity = Autumn Outdoor Entertaining
Piggyback a fun autumn outdoor activity with Halloween decorating. Take your kids and their friends to select their Halloween pumpkins. When you return home, spend an hour or two with pumpkin crafts ---- older kids can carve jack-o-lanterns under the watchful eye of an adult, younger kids can paint the pumpkins with tempera or acrylics (finish with a coat of glossy spray polyurethane for a professional look), and budding chefs can work in the kitchen roasting pumpkin seeds and making pumpkin squares.
The point is to make autumn the highlight of your celebration. If you don't capitalize on it now, you'll have to wait for another year to enjoy the seasonal conditions that are on your doorstep now. Don't miss this opportunity!
© Text by Janice Benoit. [October, 2006]. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use will constitute an infringement of copyright.
