Sides & Pies
This dressing variation from the American South is traditionally made with crumbled cornbread instead of white bread.
What is cornbread dressing?
This natural event happens to leaves when they stop producing chlorophyll, revealing hidden pigments.
What is leaf color change?
This Peanuts classic follows Linus as he waits in a pumpkin patch for a mysterious visitor.
What is It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown?
Most canned “pumpkin” sold in stores is actually this closely related winter squash.
What is butternut squash?
The fall season begins when the Earth reaches this astronomical event in September.
What is the autumnal equinox?
This sweet side dish mixes crushed pineapple, mini marshmallows, and whipped topping and is often called a “salad.”
$200
What is ambrosia salad?
This moon, the closest full moon to the autumn equinox, traditionally helped farmers harvest late into the night.
What is the Harvest Moon?
This ’90s rom-com starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks is famous for its back-to-school bookstore scenes and cozy fall New York aesthetic.
What is You’ve Got Mail?
This spice blend often used in fall lattes contains cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and this final spice.
What is cloves?
This gas in the atmosphere scatters sunlight, causing the sky to appear especially crisp and blue in fall.
What is nitrogen?
This New England classic pie uses molasses as its primary sweetener.
What is molasses pie? (or Shoofly pie)
This term describes the time when birds begin flying south in organized formations.
What is migration?
The first movie in this vampire series features golden-hued Washington forests and moody fall weather throughout.
What is Twilight?
This tool, originally used by woodworkers, is now a common household item for carving pumpkin faces.
What is a serrated carving saw? (or pumpkin carving saw, originally adapted from a keyhole saw)
This type of tree, known for brilliant red fall color, includes varieties like sugar and red.
What is maple?
This French technique, used for many fall pies, involves baking the crust before adding the filling.
What is blind baking?
Acorns dropping earlier than usual is sometimes considered a sign of this type of coming winter.
What is a harsh winter? (or a long winter)
This long-running sitcom is known for its many Thanksgiving episodes, including the one where a turkey gets stuck on Joey’s head.
What is Friends?
Illinois produces more of this pumpkin product than any other state in the US.
What is canned pumpkin?
This large North American mammal grows a thicker coat in fall and sheds it in spring.
What is a bear? (acceptable: black bear, grizzly bear)
This custard-based pie was once made from a mix of butternut squash and sugar because canned pumpkin was unavailable.
What is squash pie? (often butternut squash)
This scientific term refers to the chemical process that causes leaves to detach from trees in fall.
What is abscission?
The opening sequence of this 1989 Robin Williams film shows students standing on desks, a moment often associated with crisp fall days at boarding school.
What is Dead Poets Society?
This term describes the practice of growing pumpkins suspended in nets or slings to prevent rotting and pest damage.
What is vertical gardening? (or sling growing)
This scientific term refers to animals storing extra body fat to prepare for winter survival.
What is fattening up? (scientifically hyperphagia)