1. The Weather

Between the temperatures finally getting to the perfect fall weather for all your favorite sweaters and your return to drinking hot tea and coffee, without being so cold that you need to wear heavy coats and gloves and hats and scarves to keep warm, to the gorgeous mist, the light drizzles, the occasional foggy evenings, and the overall return of a comfortable humidity, October has the best weather.

From the first whiff of the smell of wet dead leaves lying on the ground, I know that I'm about to enjoy myself for the next 31 days while the month of October throws all of the best aspects of fall at me.

2. The Colors

Autumn leaves are only a piece of the beauty of nature during October.

Their reds, yellows, oranges, and browns are inspiring and breathtaking on their own, but even more so when contrasted with the deep greens of mosses and conifers, the pale green of hardy ferns, the deep browns of tree trunks and branches, and the greys ranging from the eerie touch of fog to the slate of overcast afternoons to the deep, stony grey of the late evening.

Not to mention the sunrises and sunsets during October when clouds overtake the sky, the sun fights its hardest to peek through all day long, and finally spreads its deepest hues across the horizon for a few minutes before fading away until the Earth's next rotation.

October saturates the world with a slew of new colors for us to enjoy, and I am forever grateful.

3. Pumpkin Spice Everything

Let's face it, as much as people claim pumpkin spice is overrated, it's still a genuinely good flavor. From Starbucks' famous PSL to homemade pumpkin pie, Pumpkin spice can be found in more and more things each year.

I've seen it in all sorts of baked goods, cereals, snacks, and candies.

I've seen pumpkin spice scented candles and soaps. I've even seen pasta sauces and pasta noodles made with real pumpkin, which are surprisingly really good and richly flavorful if you're a fan of other squashes.

Not to mention the delicious snack that is roasted pumpkin seeds, especially if you make them yourself. Pumpkins are in season in October and we love to use them in as many ways as we can and it's such a wonderful thing.

4. Apple Cider

One of my all-time favorite seasonal drinks, apple cider is delicious no matter if it's hot and pre-spiced late at night or it's chilled and served with a cinnamon stick and a sprinkling of allspice in the afternoon.

Pressed apples brewed over time to create a deliciously sweet drink, perfectly spiced in one way or another to encapsulate all the flavors of fall your heart desires?

What more could one want? And what better month to enjoy it than now in October as the air turns crisp and gorgeous all around you?

5. Cranberries

Okay, I know that this one might be a little less important to some of you than the previous points or that it is to me, but cranberries are one of my favorite fruits of all time and are oh so versatile.

I know dried cranberries are available year-round but they have nothing on the snap of biting into a fresh, tart cranberry. Beyond that, they're cooked into just as many things as pumpkin is, from cookies to muffins to being turned into jellies and sauces to being added to various dishes to add a new layer to the flavor.

And even more delicious than that, whenever cranberries are paired with orange zest and sometimes with walnuts, you have a truly iconic fall snack no matter what they're all baked into.

I love cranberries so much, and early-to-mid-October is the perfect season for them before other fall flavors take over later in the month and in the fall.

6. Seasonal Produce

Let's face it, as delicious as summer fruits and vegetables are, they get boring after awhile. But come October, a whole array of new fruits/veggies become available.

From Butternut squash (which barely counts as a vegetable because it's so good and sweet) to Acorn squash to any squash besides yellow and spaghetti squashes which are available all year-round, to better zucchini than available at any other time, to pumpkins, to cranberries, to different kinds of apples and pears and cherries, the list goes on and on depending on what markets are available in your area, there is a whole array of new flavors to try every October, and every local restaurant loves adapting temporarily to this fresh new palate of flavors.

7. Farmer's Markets

I know Farmer's Markets aren't October-exclusive, however, along with all of the new products that blossoms and grows and along with the perfectly balanced weather, they really thrive around this time.

You can always find one during the summer with an assortment of fruits and vegetables, but it's more miserable to be outside than any other time, so they're often less populated.

And you can find them in September and November, but there's less of a selection because things either have yet to be harvested or have already been mostly sold.

October, however, is when markets completely thrive because the weather and selection both balance out and so October brings about the most satisfaction for both customers and merchants whenever markets are set up every week.

8. Nights Out

Again, something that is available year-round, simply perfected in October.

The weather is the perfect balance between too hot to stay put-together all night and still warm enough that you needn't remind yourself "a ho is never cold", nights out to the club or to walk downtown or to do any number of things reach their peaks this month because we all have an excuse to finally be both cute and comfortable.

Not to mention the number of themed events that go on in most cities' nightlife experiences during October and its implications with Oktoberfest and Halloween.

9. Fall Festivals

From pumpkin patches and hay rides to downtown experiences with food and cider vendors to art shows all around that are seasonally-themed, there are so many wonderful fall festivals that go on during October, it's never hard to find something fun and seasonal to do.

Family events, friend events, events enjoyable solo, all exist and run at different times throughout October while the weather is still perfect for them all.

The best time to get yourself immersed in the experience that is fall, you can always find a place to visit or an event or festival to go to in order to stay engaged and entertained.

10. Halloween!!

Come on, did you really think I would leave this off the list? Never! I just saved the best for last, the best holiday of them all is Halloween and it comes with so much joy and fun.

Haunted Houses, Haunted Trails, scary movies, some of my favorite Halloween-themed Disney films, decorations everywhere.

Halloween is an immense, immersive, cultural experience that thankfully lasts all month long. Dust off your favorite spooky mood boards, your decorative webs and spiders, your Nightmare Before Christmas merchandise, your slutty or punny costumes, and indulge in every ounce of creativity Halloween brings all month long.