The first day of fall was September 23rd, which means fall is officially here! From football to foliage, there is so much to look forward to!  Here are some signs that it's beginning to look a lot like fall in Missouri.

1. The most obvious sign of fall is the changing of the leaves. While not in full force yet, we are starting to see signs of some changing colors. Missouri is an amazing place for viewing this change due to the abundance of trees. It's a great time for a walk in the woods!

2. You are suddenly seeing pumpkin-spice flavored everything! Last year I started indulging early and was "all pumpkined out" by Thanksgiving. I plan to start in October this year. Pictured is Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte.

3. You can actually go enjoy the outdoors without the crazy humidity! Cooler weather, especially at night, makes for some great camping trips and other outdoor activities.

4. The appearance of corn mazes and pumpkin patches. We have already featured Corn Mazes in a prior post and will be highlighting pumpkin patches at a later date, although many places feature both. For example, the one featured below…

Aholt Farms Seasons of Fun is located at 6133 Augusta Bottom Road in Augusta. It opens September 26th and will run through November 1st. Some of their featured activities and attractions include face painting, hay rides, pedal cars and tractors, corn maze, and much, much more! Visit their website at Aholt Farms for more information.

5. Another (albeit unpleasant) sign that Fall has arrived is the return of the dreaded Multi-Colored Asian Lady Beetle! They seem to be everywhere each fall, and not the pleasant, friendly lady bugs native to this land. These beetles have forced the nice ones out and these even bite! Get your bug spray handy!

6. The appearance of football is one of the favorite signs of fall for many people. Whether NFL, college or high school, you can’t deny it’s a fall sport. Pictured is Missouri University of Science and Technology football team in Rolla.

7. Shorter days and longer nights. I am not the biggest fan of this, myself, however. I’m not looking forward to when it’s dark at 5:00, but alas, a sign of fall. Pictured is an evening in Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza.

8. Burning Leaves is a definite “smell of fall”, but you will mostly find this more in smaller towns and rural areas. A lot of the larger cities have outlawed doing such a thing. Also a sign of fall that is more prevalent in those areas are fire pits and bonfires. Now that the air is cooler, fire is a lot more pleasant than in the sticky summer months.

9. The appearance of many fall festivals. To find a fall festival in your area, visit festivalnet.com. Two upcoming Missouri Festivals are the Liberty Fall Festival in Libery and the Gladfest Fall Festival in Gladstone.

The Liberty Fall Festival is from September 25th-September 27. For events, schedule and attractions, visit Liberty Fall Festival.

Gladstone hosts the Gladfest Fall Festival from October 2nd- October 4th. Visit Gladfest Fall Festival on Facebook for more information.

10. The reappearance of browns, yellows and oranges in décor.

11. Ads for Haunted Houses. Most Haunted Houses and other haunted attractions usually start around October 1st, but a sure sign of fall is a sudden surge in ads for these places. Featured is Freaks Fair Haunted Attraction in Warrensburg, but stay tuned for a piece on these attractions when they are closer to opening.

For more information about the upcoming Freaks Fair, visit Freaks Fair.

12. The appearance of homecoming pics on social media. This may be especially true on Facebook since, as my kids tell me, Facebook is “mostly moms”. I would be offended, except for the fact that my use of Facebook as a mom is just further proof of its validity.

13. You trade your lawn mower for a rake or leaf blower. Sure it’s great that you can cut your grass less often (if at all, later in the season), but you will have to deal with all the leaves that start falling from the trees. After that, it will be snow, and then grass again. I guess with beautiful foliage and the ability for things to grow, comes the need for yard upkeep.

What is your favorite sign of fall?  Share in the comments below!