Fall festivals that are worth the drive

Pack a sense of adventure, gas up the car and join festivals glorifying everything from oysters to garlic.

Fall’s officially here, so why not plan a cool autumnal road trip? A foodie road trip! Pack a sense of adventure, gas up the car and join festivals glorifying everything from oysters to garlic.

“Our tagline is ‘Eat. Drink. Stink,’” said Jo Moranville, chairwoman and self-described “Stinkin’ Czarina” of the Easton Garlic Fest. “It’s a beautiful day for foodies to just wander around and sample so many delicious foods.” Plus, vote for the best gastric garlic dishes and dangerous desserts.

“I am floored every year,” she added. “It’s unbelievable what they do.”

Chefs also get creative during Cheesetoberfest, “an all-out, noholds-barred” grilled cheese, mac and cheese throwdown at Dover’s Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company.

“Who doesn’t love beer and cheese?” asked Vanessa Melotti, taproom and events manager. “Area restaurants compete to see who is the ‘Grand Cheezmo’ in each category.”

Chocolate lovers, rejoice! “The Sweetest Place on Earth” puts its spin on Oktoberfest too. Downtown Hershey’s Choctoberfest boasts “bands, beers, bites” and chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.

Of “core”-se (apple pun intended), don’t miss the National Apple Harvest Festival in Biglerville. The 55th annual apple extravaganza features apple pie, apple guacamole, apple cider, apple dumplings, apple pancakes – “literally everything apple you can think of,” said Andrew Robinson, publicity chairman. “It’s truly a foodie’s paradise.”

All hail another round, red favorite: the humble cranberry! Commemorate this year’s harvest at the Chatsworth Cranberry Festival, promising “crantastic fun for everyone.”

Or browse the booths at Bordentown’s Cranberry Fest, “one of the oldest and largest juried arts and crafts shows in New Jersey.” Foodwise, find cranberry wine, cranberry hot sauce, cranberry jelly, cranberry cheese, cranberry baked goods and more.

“It shines the spotlight on our restaurants in town,” explained organizer Leon Stanley. “Bordentown has become a dining destination.”

Seafood fans, “shuck and slurp your way” to the U.S. Oyster Festival, aka Maryland’s annual Bivalve Bash.

“It’s been going for 53 years,” said Karen Stone, administrator. “It brings people from all over the country to talk about and eat oysters and celebrate oysters.”

They also vie for top honors at this “nice family, low-key event” with “the most amazing food and oysters you will ever eat.” Worth the drive? You bet. Know before you go “Get your garlic on” at the Easton Garlic Fest Saturday, Oct. 5 and Sunday, Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Easton, Pennsylvania. Festival admission’s free. Tickets for the Gastric Garlic People’s Choice Contest: $10. Dangerous Desserts People’s Choice Contest: $8. www.eastongarlicfest.com

Don’t get “bogged” down! Check out the 30th annual Cranberry Fest Oct. 5 and 6 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Bordentown, New Jersey. Shop for arts and crafts and then relax in the beer garden. Free admission. www. btowncranfest.com

Enjoy orchard tours, contests, live music and more than 300 arts and crafts vendors at the National Apple Harvest Festival in Biglerville, Pennsylvania, Oct. 5 and 6, 12 and 13, starting at 8 a.m. Tickets: $10. Children under 12 are free. www.appleharvest.com

“Many will compete. Only one will win. You get to try them all” during Cheesetoberfest Saturday, Oct. 19 from 12 to 6 p.m. at Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company in Dover, Delaware. Tickets: $30 general admission, $60 VIP. www.cheesetoberfest.com

Craving chocolate? Head to Hershey, Pennsylvania, for Choctoberfest, a “family-friendly fall festival” chock-full of the sweet stuff Saturday, Oct. 19 from 12 to 6 p.m. Admission’s free. www. downtownhershey.com

Savor oysters “all different ways” at the U.S. Oyster Festival in Leonardtown, Maryland, Saturday, Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 20 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Highlights include the U.S. National Oyster Shucking Championship Contest and National Oyster Cook-Off. Admission: $10. Children 12 and under are free. http://usoysterfest.com

And finally, check out the cranberry treats, classic cars, artisans and entertainment at the Chatsworth Cranberry Festival in Chatsworth, New Jersey, Saturday, Oct. 19 and Sunday, Oct. 20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free admission. www.cranfest.info

“Our tagline is ‘Eat. Drink. Stink.’ It’s a beautiful day for foodies to just wander around and sample so many delicious foods.”

— Jo Moranville, chairwoman and self-described “Stinkin’ Czarina” of the Easton Garlic Fest

PHOTO COURTESY OF FORDHAM & DOMINION BREWING CO. Indulge in beer and cheese at Cheesetoberfest.

PHOTO COURTESY OF EASTON GARLIC FEST At the Easton Garlic Fest, try “dangerous desserts” like this one.

PHOTO BY EMILY RYAN It’s cranberry time! Chatsworth and Bordentown both host festivals.

PHOTO BY EMILY RYAN Visit “The Sweetest Place on Earth” for Choctoberfest.

PHOTO COURTESY OF EASTON GARLIC FEST In Easton, “garlic, glorious garlic” takes center stage.

PHOTO COURTESY OF W.E. STONE At the U.S. Oyster Festival, try oysters “raw, scalded, grilled on the barbie, on bread, on the half shell, stewed, nude, cooked in savory sauces, in salads, even in desserts.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF NATIONAL APPLE HARVEST FESTIVAL The National Apple Harvest Festival “celebrates beautiful crafts, great music and wonderful food.”