Fall is coming, and it is by far, my favorite season of the year. The weather is finally starting to cool off, college football has started and fall fashion is starting to hit the streets.

Some of the things I love most about this season are the special events that start taking place. From fall festivals, pumpkin harvests, art shows and more, I always enjoy being able to festively experience fall.

This being my first fall season as a resident of Selma, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I will say that I have been pleasantly surprised, not only the amount of fall activities but also by the different kinds of things Selma has to offer this fall.

For instance the Alabama Wildlife Federation is hosting a wild game cook-off at the historic St. James Hotel at the beginning of November. There will be teams preparing various dishes of fish, fowl and game, and people can buy tickets to sample each of their creations.

The event will be held outside the hotel, overlooking the river, and with the live entertainment, I can already imagine the fun, festive atmosphere that this cook-off is sure to produce. Even though I have never tried any kind of wild game, and I’m not sure how these dishes will taste, I know this is one fall event that I just can’t pass up.

Another event Selma is offering this fall is one that won’t have your taste buds watering, but instead will ignite your creative juices. The Selma Arts Guild is hosting the Black Belt Art Explosion Studio Tour the last weekend of October. The self-guided tour will give people the opportunity to step inside local artists’ studios and private workspaces and see how they make their art.

This will be an experience unlike any other art show or festival this fall. The personal process of watching someone create their art is sure to inspire and raise the level of appreciation of our local artists in the hearts and minds of all who attend.

And that’s not where the fall fun ends. With upcoming events like Lobsterfest and Riverfront Market Day, Selma will have no short supply of engaging, fall activities.

On top of all the planned events, there are tons of exciting do-it-yourself type fall activities. Pumpkin carving may be the biggest one, and I’ve already seen a few signs around town promoting their annual pumpkin carving extravaganzas.

Selma has so many activities to offer this fall, and I can’t wait to experience as many as I can; whether that means touring Selma’s art community, tasting gamey dishes out by the St. James Hotel, watching college football at Side Porch Sandwiches, or taking a stroll down Broad Street wearing a new fall scarf. Fall is coming to Selma, and so many festive events will be here to welcome it.