The greatest season of the year is finally here. Fall has come to the northern hemisphere.

The autumnal equinox always seems to find a way to sneak up on me. As I think about it in yearning of nostalgic moments, but when late September comes it’s always when I’m dealing with the ramp up of the school year.

Fall is time for the best holiday of the year: Halloween. Not only is Halloween a well-decorated film franchise, but it is the most mystical holiday of them all.

My compliments to the chef, and her name is mother nature with the way that she has delivered a perfect drizzle of rain to start out the fall. There’s nothing more of a vibe than walking in the rain because you have too.

I’ve never felt such warmth from the low temperatures as I do in the fall. Cloudy days bring a vibe that just can’t be beat. Dark skies shine over our central Illinois community with lower 70’s and high 60’s temperatures– what a sense of vibe.

Vibe is one of the most important parts of the season. From spooky to wholesome, from warm and inviting to peaceful and quiet. A sense of nostalgia is hinted within this vibe. It’s a feeling: the feeling of fall.

Fall’s vibe is of memory.

It takes me back to windy October days coming home on the bus from school, turning on the TV and seeing each and every one of the different children’s TV specials Halloween themed episodes.

Another fun highlight of the season is decorating. Lots of people find opportunities to decorate for special occasions, but moving on from summer, fall has a big shift in stylistic difference. Falling leaves, pumpkins and scarecrows deck out many homes in communities nationwide, a splendid sight to see in my book.

A bountiful harvest of pumpkins will be on display at many pumpkin patches. We here in the Charleston area have a couple of nearby pumpkin patches that we can visit.

The Great Pumpkin Patch in Arthur and the Southfork Homestead Pumpkin Patch are fun times to go take a visit to during the season, along with bringing home some great pumpkins and gourds to help decorate your home for the season.

One of my passions is watching films, which is amplified during the season, given that one of my favorite film genres is horror.

There are of course many, many films centered on Halloween and also Thanksgiving, some being based around the holiday and some just taking place around the time of year.

Fun films like “Son in Law” and “Halloweentown” bring a fun jolliness to the viewer’s senses, while some more action packed horror movies like “Thanksgiving” and “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” are more painted to be a scream.

Must we not forget another one of fall’s gems, the prime of football season. As an avid fantasy football manager, my Sundays are booked, as I’m glued to the TV trying to consume as much football content as I can possibly put into my brain.

Overall, the fall is the best time of year.

Like the other seasons, it has its specialties and things to look forward to. The nostalgia that the fall brings out of me is way more impactful to my life than in any other season, making fall the best season of them all.

Gunnar Olson can be reached at 581-2812 or at deneic@gmail.com.