The Fall Festival Season is upon us, and the November calendar is overflowing with chances to get out and enjoy the cool weather. It’s a great opportunity to relax before the hectic holiday season begins. There is something for everyone, with festivals of all sizes and themes offered across the Scenic 98 Coastal Area.

If you like classic Southern cooking with a healthy twist, you’re in luck. Cheryl’s Café in Spanish Fort offers a wide array of lunch options and plenty of choices for the most finicky eater. 

The GREAT GULFCOAST ARTS FESTIVAL is about to take off again on November 1-3 in downtown Pensacola as it has, almost uninterrupted, since 1973. As always, the all-volunteer committee will put their heart into organizing a beautiful 3-day event and the fine artists who grace Historic Seville Square will provide the soul with their amazing creativity.

One yellow cat is responsible for creating the Hound Dog Music Festival benefitting the Baldwin Humane Society and Beth Fugard, chairman of the event for the last 8 years, is the mastermind behind it. She had a rental property in Silverhill with a nice tenant who had a yellow cat. The cat looked out the window when she walked her property, which was once the Woodhaven Dairy.

When Rob Holbert has some downtime, you might find him at the end of his backyard pier on the west side of Mobile Bay. But don’t expect him to linger too long out there. Being co-publisher of the Lagniappe newspaper, something he’s done for 22 years now, demands a lot of hours

Along Scenic 98 in Fairhope lies a gem of a restaurant that is sure to please the most demanding epicurean. Called “R Bistro,” owned by Misty Rider, this restaurant you will say is “tres magnifique” after tasting some of their offerings.

Felder Rushing is a celebrity: an author of eighteen books, thousands of newspaper and magazine articles, a radio talk show host (The Gestalt Gardener) on Mississippi Public Broadcasting, and a guru to plant people all over the United States. He lives in Jackson, Ms., and is a horticulture specialist. Recently, I met and heard him speak in the Daphne Senior Center courtyard. Why? A Plant Swap!

A day trip or extended stay along the Mississippi Gulf Coast is always entertaining, especially when you add fine dining to the equation. On a recent visit, I met a friend for lunch at Mary Mahoney’s Old French House Restaurant and the experience was outstanding. Eileen Mahoney Ezell runs the restaurant with her brother, Bobby Mahoney, and cousins Tony Cvitanovich, Andra Osman, and JoAnna McAdams. It’s a family affair with lots of history dating back to 1737!