Leaves change colors up north but for South Floridians, fall is full of other colorful treats to relish.
1. Sauna time switches to indoor venues as humidity and temperatures fall out of the summer stratosphere. This means the full outdoor scene revs up with fall festivals and art shows, boating, biking and other activities.
Plus, the end of both election and hurricane season is fast approaching. Soon, those omnipresent campaign ads and ominous circulation patterns will fall off our radar.
2. Stone crab season opens, but so does Knaus Berry Farm, the locally famous Redland farm and bakery with drool-worthy sticky buns and fresh strawberry shakes.
On Saturdays, lines are long but distinctive and delicious baked goods, ice cream, produce and flowers make the trip and the wait well worth the time. Opened as a simple roadside fruit stand more than 55 years ago, this seasonal favorite operates from November through mid-April but, as the farm's Facebook page says, "Lord willing," this year it’ll open Oct. 28.
3. For water rats, the Columbus Day holiday weekend marks the return of Biscayne Bay’s oldest event -- a 57-year-old regatta commemorating the noted cruise of a few small sailboats in 1492.
While serious sailors race their boats down the bay to overnight off Elliott Key and race back the next morning, other happy campers typically raft up for an epic R-rated Saturday night party.
4. Party time abounds with Key West’s Fantasy Fest, a 10 day pre-Halloween bacchanal more like Mardi Gras than Miami’s now-deceased King Orange Jamboree.
Each year, organizers adopt a theme to inspire fabulous costumes and amazing parade floats. This year’s focus is anime, a Japanese form of animation that's sparked a costuming lifestyle known as cosplay.
5. Nov. 2 is the time of year when we get one more hour to sleep -- or play -- as we fall back out of Daylight Savings Time and reset the clocks.
Ben Franklin is credited with first suggesting the practice as an energy- and money-saving opportunity, but it wasn't adopted in his lifetime.
Other late-fall South Florida bounty includes the Miami Book Fair International, Art Basel Miami Beach, and the WinterfestBoat Parade in Fort Lauderdale.
Fall 2014 wraps up Dec. 21 as our coolest and darkest season rotates in with the winter solstice.
We want to know your seasonal favorites. Feel free to share in the comments section or tell us via Twitter at @WLRN or on our Facebook page.
