The cool days of autumn are arriving along with the Fall Festival in
Mentone, Ala., on top of Lookout Mountain. The ancient tall
hardwoods are are showing their glorious color as they sway back and
forth like waves on the ocean. You will find breathtaking scenery of
all the beautiful hues of reds, oranges and yellows that canopy over
the winding mountain roads. This beautiful show of nature in itself is worth the trip to Mentone in October. Best of all we are only one tank of gas from your area. Many find this to be a perfect “Day-cation.”

On October 17-19, 2008 Mentone will have it’s annual celebration of “Fall on the Mountain.” Friday night kicks off the event at 6:30 p.m. with a bonfire and local country music by Lisa and Barry Crow and David Dunn. There will be a Storyteller, Martha Templeton, who works with the school system in Georgia in the field of literacy. She is an accomplished writer who has had one of her short stories published in Chicken Soup for the Soul and made into a TV movie.

This is a free event and you will need to bring your blanket or lawn chair to gather around the fire. Saturday night the music will begin again at 6:30 p.m. with other local musicians. Don’t forget your wrap for the cool nights.

Saturday is an exciting day at The Brow Park as crafters and artist
bring their art pieces to show and sell. Each year there is a beautiful handmade quilt which is raffled off at the MAPA Booth.

The tickets cost only $1. As you wander around in the park that
has one of the most beautiful views in Mentone, you will find wood carvers, iron sculptures, pottery, antiques, paintings, pencil drawings, watercolors, jewelry and much more. There are always lots of good food vendors such as barbeque, hot dogs, snowcones, popcorn, cotton candy, funnel cakes, etc.

On Sunday there will be cloggers and mountain dancers at the pavilion. Enjoy the music and food as you mill thru the vendors and as the festival winds down. In the afternoon they will have the drawing for the quilt and usually several other drawings for door prizes.

You will want to visit the little town of Mentone while you are at the festival. Visitors enjoy the antique shops at the Crow’s Nest and White Elephant. The Village by the Cabin Deli has lots of art exhibits, pottery, jewelry and much more. You will also find our favorite ice cream shop in the Village. If you would like to enjoy a fine lunch or dinner there is Caldwell’s at the Mentone Springs Hotel, The Wildflower, who has been in Southern Living, and The Windwood Farms Restaurant just outside of town going to Cloudland.

Mentone is just five miles off Interstate 59, just two hours north of
Birmingham and 45 minutes south of Chattanooga at Exit 231 (Valley Head) take Highway 117 east to Highway 11, turn right and immediate left on Highway 117 again and continue up the mountain. For The Brow Park turn left at the first caution light, past the Mentone Springs Hotel to the Park.

For information call Mountain Properties at 800-799-1878.