AN AUTUMN BUCKET LIST

There’s nothing like a long and lingering fall in Alberta. The smell of harvest in the air, the rustle of leaves underfoot, the sight of geese overhead. For many, it’s the very best time of year. To celebrate that, we’ve put together an autumn bucket list of fabulous things to do before the…erm…you-know-what flies. Happy autumn, everyone.

Host a Backyard Movie Night—Why not skip the movie theatre for a change and host a screening in your own backyard. It’s a great excuse to snuggle under the stars, and there’s no standing in line for popcorn. Your movie can be projected onto any light-coloured background, and creating your own is as easy as stringing up a canvas drop cloth or white bed sheet. As for a projector, they can usually be checked out from most libraries. As for the movie, we suggest a classic: The Princess Bride, Grease… whatever you like. Just keep it PG13 for the neighbours!

Visit a U-Pick—There are great U-picks in our region, and every week yields something new to harvest. Berries, vegetables, potatoes, pumpkins—even eggs and zucchini blossoms. Many U-picks also sell homemade baking, preserves and honey on site and have picnic tables and play areas for families. Prairie Gardens, located 15 minutes outside of our city, even has a corn maze. But it’s not just kids who will have all the fun. Shady Lane Estate, located in Barrhead, sells small batches of artisanal wine made from the strawberries and orchard fruit grown on their farm.

Ride the Railway or a Streetcar—There’s something magical about riding a train through the prairie landscape. And you don’t need an abundance of time or money to do it. The Alberta Railway Museum is open every summer weekend to explore, and you can even get all aboard on long weekends. If a streetcar is more your style, there’s no better destination than the High Level Bridge. The Edmonton Radial Railway Society website posts a schedule of departure times from Strathcona, as well as tons of historical information and fun facts about the streetcars in their fleet (the oldest was built in 1895!).

Have a Food Truck Picnic—Street food and good times go hand in hand. And there’s nothing like the smell of autumn in the air to work up an alfresco appetite. You’ll find trucks every Saturday at the St. Albert Farmers’ Market and at special events throughout the city. Most notable is the food truck event held at the St. Albert Grain Elevator Park. Complete with beer gardens, 50/50 draws and live music, it’s definitely worth marking the calendar for. Visit the upcoming-events page at
http://museeheritage.ca/ for dates.

Visit the Farmers’ Market—We don’t need to tell you how great our farmers’ market is. We might, however, need to encourage you to make some time to actually get there. With so few Saturdays in a summer and such long to-do lists for the weekends, it’s easy to miss out on our good thing. Besides being a great place to shop locally, it’s also just a great place to walk around and unplug for a while. A hot dog doesn’t hurt either.

Make Caramel Apples—That’s right. When apples are in season, there’s no better treat than an ooey-gooey, caramel apple. Making them couldn’t be easier, and the only real secret is using the perfect apple. For us, that means a McIntosh or a Honey Crisp. Both have the perfect balance of sweet and tart and are packed with juice in every bite. To make yours, simply unwrap a bag (340g) of Kraft caramels, and melt them in a large pan over medium-low heat with 2 tbsp water. While they’re melting, wash and dry your apples, remove the stems and spear each with a popsicle stick. Next, roll the apples in the melted caramel, and place them on buttered waxed paper to cool. Want to really go for it? Roll them in a bowl of chopped peanuts or Smarties before they hit the waxed paper. t8n

Did You Know?

Edmonton’s first drive-in theatre opened in 1949.

Its last drive-ins, the Stardust Twin Drive-In and the Twin Drive-In, were torn down in 1998.

Image  © Brent Hofacker / Dollarphotoclub