First Day Of Fall In Montgomery County: Can't-Miss Events

SILVER SPRING, MD — The fall equinox on Monday, Sept. 23, officially ushers in the new season and its promise of crisp air, show-stopping leaf displays, and more sunny afternoons in college football stadiums. Fall is an especially exciting time of year in Montgomery County.

Here's what's in store this season:

3rd Annual Washington Grove Fall Festival Arts & Crafts (Sept. 28)

• On Sept. 28, dozens of artisans will be showing and selling their creations in historic Washington Grove. The festival will feature a pumpkin patch, pumpkin painting, food trucks, a musical petting zoo, live performances, and more. Admission is free. Click here to learn more about the 3rd Annual Washington Grove Fall Festival Arts & Crafts.

Cider Days (Sept. 25-29)

• Swing by Locust Grove Nature Center in Bethesda for Cider Days, a five-day event that features special exhibits, free cider samples, and a self-guided Johnny Appleseed trail. Admission is free and open to all. No registration is required. Click here to learn more about Cider Days.

Pumpkin Festival (Weekends, Sept. 28-Nov. 3, including Columbus Day)

• Butler's Orchard in Germantown will kick off its Pumpkin Festival on Sept. 28. A ticket costs $12 (free for children under 24 months) and grants you access to hayrides, the hilltop hop jump pad, a twisted corn maze, pedal tractors, corn hole games, a pumpkin coach ride, and more. Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Click here to learn more about the Pumpkin Festival at Butler's Orchard.

7 Locks Brewing 4th Annual Oktoberfest (Sept. 28)

• The 7 Locks Brewing 4th Annual Oktoberfest in North Bethesda will feature live music from The Walkaways, traditional German food from Biergarten Haus, craft vendors, and steins full of seasonal beer. The event takes place from 3 to 8 p.m., with music playing from 4 to 7 p.m. Remember to dress up in your dirndls or lederhosens. Click here to learn more about 7 Locks Brewing 4th Annual Oktoberfest.

2nd Annual Heritage Harvest (Oct. 5-6)

• Celebrate fall at Heritage Montgomery's 2nd annual Heritage Harvest. Check out farms and farm markets, wineries and vineyards, historic farm buildings, artists' studios, and more. Admission is free. Harvest hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Click here to learn more about the 2nd Annual Heritage Harvest.

Germantown Oktoberfest (Oct. 5)

• Oktoberfest returns to Germantown on Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be a parade, live music, a beer garden, free giveaways, and more. The parade route is on Century Boulevard, starting at UpCounty Regional Services Center and ending at the police station. The beer garden and live music will be at BlackRock Center for the Arts. Click here to learn more about Oktoberfest.

Harvest Festival (Oct. 5)

• The Agricultural History Farm Park is hosting this event in Derwood from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn how county farms and communities work together, interact with historians in historic costumes, make apple butter, paint pumpkins, build scarecrows, and more. Admission is $15 per car (additional fees for some activities). Click here to learn more about the Harvest Festival.

Rocktobierfest (Oct. 5)

• This fun-filled event will feature two stages of entertainment, German food, kids activities, artisans, and drinks for sale by local breweries and vendors. Rocktobierfest, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., is expected to attract more than 5,000 people to Rockville Town Center. Click here to learn more about Rocktobierfest.

PIKEtoberfest2019 (Oct. 6)

• PIKEtoberfest2019 returns Oct. 6 and will feature live music, kids activities, a sand castle exhibit, and a craft beer garden. The fun starts at noon at Pike & Rose in North Bethesda. Click here to learn more about PIKEtoberfest2019.

Howl-O-Wine Fundraiser to Benefit Wags for Hope (Oct. 12)

• Wine + dogs = the perfect combo. Grab a drink and hang out with some adorable furry friends at ‪Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in Dickerson on Oct. 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Pre-sale tickets are $20. Tickets are $25 at the gate (must be 21+ to purchase). Tickets include a souvenir glass and wine tasting. At the Howl-O-Wine Fundraiser, there will also be a Doggie Costume Contest, food trucks, vendor shopping, silent auctions, and raffles. Click here to learn more about the Howl-O-Wine Fundraiser to Benefit Wags for Hope.

Okoberfest - Kentlands (Oct. 13)

• Grab your dirndl or lederhosen and get ready to Prost. Oktoberfest is on Oct. 13 from noon to 5 p.m. The festival will take place in and around the Arts Barn, Kentlands Mansion, and Kentlands Village Green, and along Main Street and Market Square. Enjoy traditional festival food, drinks from local breweries and wineries, and live music from the Alte Kameraden German Band and Alt-Washingtonia Bavarian Dancers. Activities include professional pumpkin carving and apple cider pressing demonstrations, free horse-drawn wagon rides, face painting, and more. Admission and parking are free. Click here to learn more about Okoberfest.

Very Spooky Mac n Cheese Cookoff (Oct. 19)

• From noon to 4 p.m., to 4 pm, True Respite Brewing Company and Saints Row Brewing are hosting their second annual Very Spooky Mac & Cheese Cookoff. Do you have what it takes to become the True Respite & Saints Row Very Spooky Mac & Cheese Cookoff winner? In addition to cooking and enjoying Mac n Cheese, you can participate in the costume contest. Click here to learn more about the Very Spooky Mac n Cheese Cookoff.

There are plenty other events taking place in Montgomery County this fall. You can find them here.

Autumnal Equinox

The autumnal equinox isn't a day-long event, but rather occurs at the exact moment the sun crosses the celestial equator. In Washington, D.C., fall officially arrives at 3:50 a.m. EDT.

We're also coming up on the end of Daylight Saving Time, which officially ends on Sunday, Nov. 3, but that's a while off.

SEE ALSO:

• Fall Foliage Map 2019: When Fall Colors Peak Around The U.S.

The word equinox comes from the Latin words "aequus," which means "equal," and "nox," which means night. That's led to the perception that everyone worldwide sees the same amount of daylight and nighttime, but it's not the absolute truth. To be precise, daylight lasts about 8 minutes longer than nighttime on the day of the equinox.

Here are five other things to know about the September equinox:

1. There's no guarantee, of course, but the chances of seeing stunning aurora borealis displays increase after the fall equinox, according to NASA. Both the spring and fall equinoxes are good aurora seasons, but autumn produces a surplus of geomagnetic storms — almost twice the annual average.

2. Nobody alive has seen a rare Sept. 21 autumnal equinox, and only young people have any hope of seeing one barring any big shifts in life expectancy. It hasn't happened on that date in many millennia, and it won't happen again until 2092 and 2096.

The date of the September equinox varies. Usually, it's on the 22nd or, as it is this year, the 23rd, but it can occur as early as Sept. 21 or as late as Sept. 24 (that hasn't happened since 1931, and won’t again until 2303).

The reason: A year is defined as 365 days by the Gregorian calendar, but it takes the Earth 365 and ¼ days to orbit the sun. What this means is the autumnal equinox occurs about 6 hours later than it did the year prior, which eventually moves the date by a day.

3. Thank Canada for spectacular fall sunsets with more vivid with pinks, reds, and oranges than at any other time of the year. The Weather Channel offers an explanation: Dry, clean Canadian air begins to sweep across the country, fewer colors of the rainbow spectrum are scattered by air molecules. That means the reds, oranges, yellows, and pinks make it through for your sunset-viewing pleasure.

4. No matter where you are in the world, the sun will rise due east and set due west during the fall equinox (the same thing happens during the spring equinox). For the directionally challenged, it's a good time for a reset. Go outside around sunset or sunrise, find a landmark and mark the sun's location in relation to it.

5. Fall isn't just a time for the human world to start buttoning things up outside. It's rutting — or mating — season for deer, elk, and moose, and males will battle it out by thrusting their antlers together until one of them gives up or dies. Swans, geese, and ducks begin their migration south. Frogs burrow deep into mud holes to wait out the winter. Chipmunks retreat to their underground tunnels. Bears eat and drink almost non-stop as they prepare for hibernation. And, according to the Mother Nature Network, the male Siberian hamster goes through a huge biological change: Its testicles swell almost 17 times their normal size.