Pumpkins get the magazine covers. Apples get the cider doughnuts. In Margaretville, cauliflower gets its own festival, and it has earned a weekend off from pretending to be rice.

The Catskills are swapping summer green for their first touches of gold. That makes now the sweet spot for a mountain escape: good local food, easy exploring and no pressure to turn your weekend into an endurance sport.

The Margaretville Cauliflower Festival: Saturday, September 19

The Margaretville Cauliflower Festival runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Village Park, 980 Main Street. Expect local food, live music and more than 25 vendors. Come hungry, browse slowly and give cauliflower the respect you usually save for a great cheese board.

One day can't hold this vegetable, so the celebration fills the whole weekend:

Friday, Sept. 18: Local Restaurant Cauliflower Menu Night
Saturday, Sept. 19: The main festival at Village Park
Sunday, Sept. 20: Cauliflower-inspired brunch at Cafe Mornings in Arkville

Check the festival website for the latest details.

Slow Down in the Village

Between bites, wander Margaretville. Browse the shops, linger over coffee and skip the tight schedule. "We found somewhere nice and stayed awhile" is a perfectly good itinerary.

Shop the Round Barn

For more local flavor, head to the Pakatakan Farmers' Market at the historic Round Barn in Halcottsville. The season runs from mid-May through mid-October and brings together local farmers and artisans. Check current hours before you go, and bring a bag. "Just looking" rarely survives a farm market.

Mountain Views, No Hiking Required

Want the summit without the uphill? Ride Belleayre's Catskill Thunder Gondola, open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through October 11, weather permitting. Take a stroll up top or bring a picnic, then let the gondola handle the ride down. Admiring a mountain counts as exercise today.

Fall Color Is Just Getting Started

The I LOVE NY foliage report for September 16–22 shows early color in Delaware County. This is the opening act, not the finale, so check the weekly updates. Trees are famously unresponsive to deadlines.

Coming Later? Belleayre Fall Festival

Belleayre's Fall Festival takes place October 3–4 and 10–11, with food, crafts, live music and family activities. Admission and parking are free; gondola rides and purchases are extra.

Make Alpine Four Season Lodge Your Fall Home Base

After a day of festivals, markets and mountain views, come back to a cozy mountain lodge near Belleayre. Pack a layer, leave room in the trunk for market finds, and let the Catskills set the pace.

Fall weekends fill fast. Book direct at www.alpinefourseasonlodge.com for our best rates. Your mountain view, and possibly a surprisingly memorable cauliflower, is waiting.

Daniel & The Crew
Alpine Four Season Lodge
32 Galli Curci Road, Highmount, NY 12441

Cauliflower, Mountain Views & Sweater Weather: Your Fall Weekend Around Belleayre in the Catskills