The fall season in Connecticut is known for its spectacular foliage that covers the state with splashes of vibrant colors that attract tourists from across the Northeast.
While fall foliage aficionados seek out red, orange, brown and yellow leaves, many Connecticut businesses only hope to see green.
The fall represents a critical time for Connecticut’s $14 billion tourism industry. Many businesses — hotels, bed and breakfasts, orchards, etc. — are banking on an impressive turnout this fall, hoping to reverse a disastrous season just two years ago in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene and the freak October snowstorm.
The Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) is predicting an especially colorful season this year, thanks to the warm summer that featured hot daytime temperatures and cooler evenings. Posted on the agency’s website is a map that displays what each part of the state should expect for fall foliage levels this year.
The color changes are expected start in the northern section of the state, and then trickle down toward New Haven and Fairfield counties.
Chris Martin, the director of forestry with DEEP, said September will make or break the autumn season in terms of colorful foliage. He expects this year’s peak will hit around Columbus Day weekend in mid-October.
Permitting there are no freak October snowstorms, or damaging hurricanes this fall, Connecticut businesses should expect a successful season, Martin said.
In an effort to boost fall tourism, the state recently announced a “Fall For Connecticut” digital and TV advertising campaign, which will encourage residents and visitors to explore the state’s autumnal hot spots from late September through early November. The campaign includes a crowdsourced list of places to go and things to do in the state, as well as prepackaged itineraries for visitors.
Various businesses are expecting a significant tourist turnout this year.
The fall season represents the busiest time of year for Lyman Orchards of Middlefield. In the nine weeks between Labor Day and the end of October, the business sees a 40 percent increase in customers.
“People are really looking for places to go, and things to do with their family, and we find that is really what we offer here,” said Steve Ciskowski, Lyman Orchards’ president and CEO.
Lyman’s massive property covers 1,110 acres that stretches into Durham. It contains orchards, intricate mazes, a bakery and marketplace as well as a plethora of activities that aim to draw in its key customer base: families.
The property also has three golf courses.
John Lyman, the executive vice president of Lyman Orchards, carries on the tradition of family ownership that began in 1741, when the property was granted to the Lyman’s under a deed from King George.
Family and fall harvests have been the two main hallmarks of the Orchard since its inception. The business spends the early part of the year preparing for its busiest season in fall.
Lyman Orchards began its “pick-your-own” feature in 1972, which generates a significant amount of revenue for the property. Each season, visitors can pick in-season fruit from Lymans’ various orchards. Apples are the most popular pick-your-own fruit. Families also pick pumpkins during the fall.
Ciskowski said the orchard’s business starts slowly in the early part of the year, peaks at Columbus Day, and then drops again during winter months. Customers commonly travel to the farm from surrounding towns and across the state, but Lyman Orchards sees visitors from as far away as New York and Massachusetts.
The family-owned enterprise becomes a particularly popular attraction once leaves change color. Lyman offers a 360-degree view of the surrounding areas at some of the higher elevations on the property, Ciskowski said.
Meanwhile, as the colors of autumn arrive, hotels and inns tucked away in Connecticut’s most scenic towns see an exponential increase in business. The Inn at Kent Falls located in Litchfield County is a major beneficiary of the season.
The proprietor of the Inn, Ira Goldspiel, said his visitors are mostly out-of-state sightseers from Manhattan. The city dwellers depart the hectic atmosphere of New York and come for a getaway from the city, he said.
The Inn at Kent Falls has been recognized by Travel & Leisure’s “The World’s Greatest Hotels Resorts + Spas” book, and has been named the best bed and breakfast in the state for six years in a row by the magazine.
Kent, located in the state’s northwestern corner, is one of the first towns to experience fall foliage. The Inn was fully booked in September and all weekends in October are full, Goldspiel said.
“October is like three months in one,” said Goldspiel.
Goldspiel said he sends guests into surrounding towns to experience restaurants and shops, giving nearby businesses the opportunity to benefit from the vacationers.
