By Kathleen Leighton

A cool breeze. The sharp scent of apples. A dazzling array of brilliant colors blanketing the rolling countryside. Autumn has come to Kansas City.

After the scorching heat of summer, fall is a welcome respite. Deep blue skies provide a perfect background for the intense gold, orange and red landscape of autumn, and there is such a variety of activities in the charming communities surrounding Kansas City that leaf peepers will find it difficult to decide what to do first.

A good place to begin is the Weston Red Barn Farm just outside the Missouri town of Weston, about 28 miles northwest of Kansas City. Enjoy tours of the farm all through the fall, see apple and peach orchards, a pumpkin patch, get lost in the corn maze, or take a pony ride or a hayride. Go home with a bushel of apples you picked yourself, or choose a jug of apple cider from the country store.

The Liberty Fall Festival, Sept. 25-27, to the northeast offers something for everyone, with a carnival featuring family entertainment and more than a hundred arts and crafts booths, where you can buy jewelry, ceramics, paintings, photographs, metal work and much more.

Powell Gardens is a stunning 640-acre botanical paradise about 30 miles east on Highway 50. In the fall, chrysanthemums are at their peak, along with snapdragons and shrub roses. The thousands of trees covering the countryside reach their peak of glorious fall colors at the end of October. The gardens are open from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m. through October, after that they close at 5 p.m., and are closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

In nearby Lee’s Summit, enjoy a farmer’s market for locally grown produce on Wednesdays and Saturdays until Nov. 5th. Enjoy hayrides in Paradise Park Fridays and Saturdays from Sept. 11th through Oct. 31. Lee’s Summit also has an Oktoberfest, Sept. 25th & 26th.

Farm tours are a wonderful way to experience the crisp fall air and gorgeous colors of the season. In Lawrence, the Annual Kaw Valley Farm Tour on Oct. 3th & 4th begins with warm scones and muffins served at Pendleton’s Country Market (which, along with acres of pick-your-own flowers, offers the colorful Butterfly Bio-Villa, both educational and relaxing). From there, follow your guide book to surrounding farms, gardens, vineyards and wineries. See a live beehive and learn about extracting honey; visit gardens and walk woodland trails; and pack a picnic lunch to enjoy at one of the wineries along the way.

If you’d like to enjoy the colors of the season with your favorite canine, visit picturesque Parkville, for the third annual Paws in the Park Dog Walk Festival on Sept. 19th.

Parkville also offer a Farmer’s Market every Wednesday and Saturday, Taste of Parkville, Sept. 10 beginning at 5:30 p.m. and the Parkville Bluegrass Block Party Saturday, Sept. 26th.

The brilliant colors in the countryside surrounding Kansas City rival any, and there are so many gatherings and festivals and celebrations to choose from. Pick a pumpkin, crunch into a freshly-picked apple and come join the fun.

Related Web sites

• www.westonredbarnfarm.com
• www.libertyfallfestival.com
• www.powellgardens.org
• www.lschamber.com
• www.visitlawrence.com
• www.pendletons.com
• www.hpj.com/archives
• www.parkvillemo.net