After a major hot spell last week, there's a bit of fall in the air today. that turns my thoughts to opportunities for fall entertaining.

Of course, fall will include celebrations of Rosh Hashanah, the breaking of the Yom Kippur fast, and Sukkot. Plus there is Halloween (or Samhain) and Thanksgiving to celebrate. Plus Elf's birthday (which I'm sure everyone celebrates by working on their Christmas lists).

Here are some less obvious opportunities for entertainment:

• You can still cookout into mid to late October, depending on the weather. Unless you have good outdoor lighting, you'll need to end earlier, but bonus if you have a firepit to take away the chill.
• Oktoberfest! Why not celebrate with beer, sauerbraten, bratwurst, German potato salad, braised cabbage, strudel.
• Also, fall is a great time for a harvest brunch (no need to worry about early darkness) or to host a craft night.  Getting friends together to work on gifts they want to give at Christmas is fun and productive.

What do you like to celebrate in the autumn?