Connecticut Photo Adventures: October in a Nutshell
Saville Dam in Barkhamsted, CT. This day I tried my camera’s panoramic feature for the first time ever.|Credit: Reynaldo Cruz Diaz
October is by far the most fun time to shoot in Connecticut. From leaf peeking, to the creative Halloween decorations, to the events that take place, I would say that there is no better place to be in the United States during the month where autumn is at its peak.
Although I did not do a lot of traveling, I did go to a couple of places and photographed some interesting things. Even if I hadn’t, there were so many good photos for me to take locally that I could have easily stayed local and still capture good photos. Having to go through three towns to get to work on a daily basis (despite being a relatively short drive).
I basically focused my interest and attention on the usual: leaves changing colors and falling, Halloween decorations and costumes, and events that took place during the month (mainly Halloween-themed). New England in general is very big on Halloween, and Connecticut is one of the best places to be due to its history with witchcraft and haunted places and how invested people get on the celebration.
Leaf Peeking and Driving Around
Trees and leaves were SO beautiful that it was impossible not to take photos nearly every day. I pulled over at least one to take a photo of the road ahead of me through the windshield. I also went on walks locally and even stopped and got off the car to take photos.
It was a blast: from the beautiful trails in Fisher Meadows, to the roads nd the farms in Avon, Farmington and Bristol, I was amazed by the beauty of the leaves and the colors of the day. The beautiful landscapes inspired me to admire it, rolled down my down my window and enjoy the breeze and the smells.
The leaves (both on the trees and on the ground) inspired me to both capture the whole landscape and photograph details of them more in close up. Each stroll or drive felt amazing, and although I did not have too many opportunities to capture animals (one of my hobbies in Connecticut), the breathtaking presence of the fall colors made up for it.
One of the places I got to visit (which I had been wanting to visit for some time) was Gillette Castle in East Haddam. Built in between 1914 and 1919 to be a retirement home for William Gillette, a stage actor who portrayed Sherlock Holmes, the place has a unique medieval architecture that stands out and provides a very spooky feeling. I had only seen it once, but only in the distance from the Connecticut river. It was a cloudy morning, but it was worth the visit (even though I didn’t go inside). The place also provided a great view to photograph the valley and the changing leaves.
Following a suggestion given to me by the mother of one of my students, I took a drive to Saville Dam in Barkhamsted. Although the time was not the best (the sun was already too high in the sky), it was crowded at moments, and the leaves were past their prime, the visit was worthwhile. I found it hard to believe that I had been missing out on a place like this in all my years in Connecticut.
Halloween decorations
The spirit of Halloween is an asset when it comes to the state. From private homes to local businesses (including antique shops, food chains and restaurants), the decorations were fun and intricate, with some of them going above and beyond.
I took the time to photograph the decorations everywhere I went and whenever I had a chance. Some of them were creative in a spooky way, others were funny. In any case, Connecticut is special in that aspect, and sometimes the whole town gets involved.
One particular case was without question my visit through Essex, a town that I had visited more than once before, but which I am happy to have stopped by this fall. The whole street was like a carnival, and without question one of my favorite places all year long.
Another place I visited was Chester (which is not far from Essex) and although the Halloween theme was not as amazing and well-defined as in Essex, there were a couple of instances that caught my attention.
Halloween-themed Events
The month of October in Connecticut is a constant Halloween party. One of the most fun things about it is the amount of events related to Halloween that take place all month long. I was fortunate enough to participate in and photograph some of them.
Jocelyn, the owner of Kismet Co. in Collinsville, organized a Tarot Collage Night featuring the Highest Priestess. My friend Lena invited me to go and take pictures, and I did so. It was an interesting thing to see because some people were even wearing witch hats. I walked around the place as they shuffled through magazine clippings to try to build cards, and took some photos of that as well.
I was invited to photograph the Mum-A-Thon Road Race, which is a 50-plus-year-old marathon-type event held in Bristol. It starts and ends at my school, and people run dressed up in Halloween costumes. I was there from the beginning until close to ending, and it was extremely entertaining. I was happy that one of my students kept me company for some part of the race, and another student actually took part in it and won a prize.
The other event I attended—which in my opinion was the best of them all—was the Annual Halloween Parade in Collinsville. On Saturday October 25, the streets of Collinsville were invaded by over 2,000 participants. People dressed up with very creative costumes and walked down the street. The event is over 30 years old, and it brings the Halloween spirit to a whole new level.
Then, there was also the Cabbage Night, organized by Steven Antonio, owner of Antonio’s Restaurant in Simsbury. Reserved for the night before Halloween, the event, which is a fundraiser, is decades old. Townspeople (mainly children, but adults are also included in the pranks) would gather around the parking lot and launch toilet paper rolls on the trees, making a mess of mischief. Mr. Antonio explained to me that he came up with the idea because his mother told him that if he was going to do mischief, he’d better do it at home. He even encouraged me to use a makeshift catapult to launch two toilet paper rolls onto the branches of the trees. When asked who was going to clean up afterwards, he smiled and said, “We will!”
Final Thoughts
Without question, this has been the best month of October I have lived in the United States. The icing on the cake, although I didn’t post pictures of this due to privacy, was attending my first Halloween as a teacher. Unlike last year, when I had to wear my regular outfit to match a student who would dress up as me, I decided to go as Freddie Kruger, and ended up winning the voting for best teacher costume.
I definitely can’t wait for next year, and if Halloween was one of my top three celebrations in America, this October has moved the festivity to the summit of my list.
