Here's a feature from Absolute Michigan!

Benzie County Coastal Color by John Clement Howe

The annual Fall Festival offers two weeks of fun in Frankfort, Beulah, Benzonia and the surrounding area. The Benzie County Visitor's Bureau has a page of information on the festival and for more details visit the Frankfort-Elberta Chamber.

Weekend of October 4-5

Fall food takes center stage with the Fall Soup Contest on Saturday (Oct 4) in Beulah Park and the Honor Lions Club Hillbilly Breakfast from 8:00 – 12:30 and Darcy Memorial Library of Beulah Cookie Bake Sale at the Trailhead in Beulah. 10am -2pm on Sunday (Oct 5).

There's also a Sidewalk Art Contest and a Fall Market in Beulah on Saturday and the Crystal Lake Elementary FallFest Fundraiser in Benzonia on Saturday with a full lineup of fun for families including a produce & products market, cider press, carnival with prizes, food, refreshments, petting zoo and fire truck rides.

Crystal Mountain offers scenic chairlift rides to view the fall colors (4-6 PM both Saturday the 5th & 12th) and a haunted forest (6:30-9:30 PM) on Saturday and then hosts the Betsie Valley Run on Sunday with a 10K Run and Half Marathon Walk & Run.

Trick or Treat!!! by John Clement Howe

Weekend of October 11-12

At 11 AM on Saturday, October 11 2008, the Fall Festival Parade and Mutt March will take place in downtown Frankfort (costume judging for the Mutts is at 10 AM). Other events following the parade include a Pumpkin luncheon at the Recreation Center, performances by the internationally acclaimed Scottville Clown Band and a ton of fall fun at the Open Space including:

• Giant Pumpkin weigh-in (guess the weight and win a bike!)
• Mutt Corral with awards and doggy fun
• Giant Pumpkin Carving by Ed Moody and Auction
• A hay wagon ride through Frankfort with a storyteller
• The Pumpkin Regatta
• Activities for kids including games, pumpkin decorating, face painting, balloon man, straw maze, fortune teller, pumpkin bowling and pumpkin hillbilly golf!

On Saturday a really cool feature is the Pumpkin Chuckin' Catapults and the Giant Pumpkin Drop on a Car at 3:00 PM in Frankfort! Check out the video below to see what happens when a 500 lb. pumpkin is dropped on a vehicle from over 100 feet in the air.