Flavors of Fall

Start early (6 a.m.) at Eastern Market, and peruse seasonal produce, baked goods and meats as well as rare wines, cheeses and worldly spices. Cooking demos, public art and street performers aplenty. You might even get the chance to tailgate with Detroit Lions fans. Grab a snack from a food truck, or have lunch at Sala Thai, Supino Pizzeria or Russell Street Deli. The market is open Saturdays year-round and Tuesdays and Sundays through October.

Relish the fall colors as you leisurely drive to Westview Orchards Adventure Farm and Winery in northern Macomb County. Fill a peck of U-pick apples (weekdays), or choose an orange gourd from the pumpkin patch. Wear out kids in tow at the petting zoo, playground, corn maze and straw mountain. Adults can climb the winding staircase inside the cider barn’s silo to the wine-tasting room (open Thursday-Sunday). No matter what, depart armed with fresh doughnuts, fruit flips and caramel apples for later.

Consider spooking it up with October dinner packages for Hallowe’en in Greenfield Village that include a sumptuous harvest supper by candlelight at Eagle Tavern, live music and classic parlor games. Want it louder and more laid-back? At the Detroit Fall Beer Festival, sip the suds of 75 Michigan brewers featuring more than 600 craft beers. It features food from area restaurants and live music from local bands at Eastern Market.

Darkness falls much earlier in the fall. If you have an appetite for some frightful late-night fun, score tickets to Theatre Bizarre, a decadent masquerade spectacular at Detroit’s Masonic Temple. Erebus, an epic, four-story haunted attraction in northern Oakland County, also holds court. After all, a little healthy screaming is sure to burn off the day’s unwanted calories.

Photo Credits: Eastern Market, Westview Orchards and dinner at Greenfield Village by Bill Bowen;  Russell Street Deli by Roy Ritchie;  Erebus courtesy of Erebus