Eureka Springs, Arkansas
From ghost tours to handcrafted souvenirs and mouthwatering cuisine, meetings groups will find plenty to appreciate in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
“This is a town of parades and festivals,” said Tammy Thurow, president of the Greater Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce. “And fall is absolutely breathtaking here. We’re located between two rivers and two lakes, with mountains and rolling hills around us.”
The city offers many distinct venues in the historic district, such as the 1905 Basin Park Hotel and the 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa, which is considered one of the most haunted sites in America and features daily ghost tours.
To admire the surrounding scenery, groups can take a leisurely bike ride by Lake Leatherwood or try a zip-line course for more extreme thrill. Containing only a handful of chain restaurants, Eureka Springs prides itself in offering an extensive local food scene, with favorite eateries like the Mud Street Café, the Local Flavor Café, the Grotto Wood-Fired Grill and Wine Cave, the Anglers Grill and the Grand Tavern.
During September, the city hosts several events, including the annual Antique Auto Festival and the Bikes, Blues and Barbecue Festival, where visitors can eat their fill of fresh barbecue while watching a motorcycle parade. In October, people flock to Eureka Springs from all over the country to participate in the War Eagle Mill Arts and Craft Fair, which highlights the beauty and culture of the Ozarks through handcrafted products.
Each year, a nonprofit called The Great Passion Play produces a signature theater performance that details Christ’s last days on earth. The play runs May through October. Visitors can explore other elements of the Passion Play grounds throughout the year, including the Holy Land Tour, the Sacred Arts Museum and the 65-foot Christ of the Ozarks statue.
Olympia, Washington
As the capital of Washington, Olympia features a stunning capitol, which was designed for a 1911 architectural competition, and a walkable, artistic downtown right on the waterfront.
The South Strand’s premier event facility, the Indian Golf and Country Club, can house anywhere from 10 to 100 guests and offers in-house catering services. Planners will find everything they need under one roof at the Little Creek Casino Resort, which includes a 22,500-square-foot event center, 190 guest rooms, entertainment and restaurants.
As visitors explore Olympia, they will learn that each business has a unique history, adding to the city’s creative vibe.
“In the fall, people like to come into town and enjoy a nice hot coffee, but we also have a story to share behind it,” said Jeff Bowe, director of sales at the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater Visitors and Convention Bureau.
One of the most famous aspects of Olympia is its brewing history, which traces its roots back to Tumwater Falls Park, a 15-acre park with trails and views of cascading water. Supposedly, the unique quality of the water gave local beer its refined taste, and meeting groups can take a walk around the sunny grounds to learn about its heritage.
Planners can schedule a tour and tasting at one of Olympia’s many breweries, such as the Three Magnets Brewing Company or Top Rung Brewing, which is owned by two firefighters. The Sandstone Distillery was the first business to open after the end of Prohibition, offering whiskey, bourbon and flavor-infused vodkas from locally sourced grains.
The Olympia Coffee Roasting Company is a must-see for coffee lovers; it features award-winning coffee blends as well as cupping classes, where groups can sample different varieties of beans.
Other regional highlights include the Olympic Flight Museum, the South Sound Wine Trail and the Evergreen Lavender Farm. For a taste of local wildlife, the nearby Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge features a 700-foot boardwalk where visitors can spot bald eagles and herons, among 200 other species of birds.
Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Nestled between Blue Mountain and South Mountain, Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley provides a lovely fall setting for meetings, with museums, wine tours and historic bridges.
The Bear Creek Mountain Resort and Conference Center offers a full view of the valley, along with ski slopes, hotel rooms, on-site restaurants and a heated pool. The resort includes four elegant meeting sites: two ballrooms, a lodge and a fireside suite that accommodate 30 to 300 guests. To complement the rustic landscape, planners can take advantage of the Glasbern Inn, a picturesque bed-and-breakfast with capacity for 150 guests; the Sands Bethlehem casino and hotel serves larger groups with a 14,000-square-foot event center.
For an afternoon excursion, groups can cruise down the 50-mile-long Lehigh Valley Bridge Tour, which takes travelers back in time as they cross through historic bridges and pristine countryside.
“On the drive, you pass through seven bridges that are still covered in the area,” said Kaitie Burger, social media and communications manager at Discover Lehigh Valley. “It’s a great way to unwind after a meeting.”
The C.F. Martin Guitar Factory provides an ideal after-hours venue where meeting attendees can see the craftsmanship of Martin Guitars firsthand as they tour the factory floor and the Martin Guitar Museum.
Housed in a renovated barn, Eight Oaks Craft Distillers is one of Lehigh Valley’s most distinct craft distilleries. A farm-to-bottle craft distiller, the company grows its own grains and produces artisan rum, vodka, gin and applejack. Private tours are available.
Groups can also follow the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail to nine family-owned wineries in the region that often debut new lines in the fall.
