October in Tennessee

October 'Harvest' is an incredible season to be in the rural rolling foothills of Appalachia that can be superbly splendid array of foliage and layers of landscape you can see from a variety of vistas in the region. There's also spontaneity in this time of year from the temperature to the precipitation possibilities. As the daylight begins to wane, you can enjoy a more cozy, comfortable, blanket and sweater weather. It's usually still nice to work outside during the daylight hours.

APPLY BEFORE THE JULY DEADLINE FOR BEST OPTIONS. applications may be reviewed after the deadline if space is still available.

If you get inspiration from people-watching, there are numerous festivals throughout the month of October in the region including Nashville. Consider book-ending your residency with any of these events, or utilize the residency as a month-long home base to explore the region and the cultural offerings. Check out a comprehensive list on the harvest moon web page link.

If nature is your muse, inspiration, or collaborator, then you will want to sink into the fall experience that Tennessee can offer. Sometimes the weather will be absolutely perfect in the day time without much humidity, yet cooling off in the evenings for a fun campfire.

In an extreme contrast to contemporary society, make plans to rest and reboot during this lovely season to allow your creativity FLOW like the BUFFALO river on our 17 acre slice of beauty in the rural rolling hills of Mid-South Tennessee 20 minutes drive from a few small towns and mostly farm land as neighbors, 90 minutes drive SW of Nashville. Those staying longer than two weeks will receive a complimentary Forest Therapy guided walk on the land.

Plan for your residency to escape the hubbub of the normal routine and enter a special place where time is a bit squishy and there’s little light pollution. There can be an array of colors and a muted palette contrasting with the other best season of May/spring/flower moon, but you'll still have lots of pops of green here. You'll see the end of the wildflowers and 'weeds' providing the pollinators with some final bits of food. It's likely that the garden activities may be gearing up for fall/winter planting. Prepare to hunker down in this adult camp environment without a formal schedule that allows you to find your own rhythm and routine.

While it's typically frowned upon to spend more time off-site to feed your regular habits of coffee shops, fast food or just eating out, there are lots of areas in the region perfect for nature exploring with your sketchbook, tablet, camera, or portable easels either at the festivals or maybe you want to visit area wineries. Perhaps you like to thrift and salvage, so those opportunities are in the area as well. October is really one of the best times to do this. There are events in the area every weekend of this month.

THEME?

Harvesting your creative ideas. Are you trying to work on a proposal, a portfolio, a new direction? This is a time of year to make plans for next year and sink into the upcoming winter. Take advantage of the flow and time where you can be productive during the day and spend more time staring at the stars. Please explain in your application. This is not a requirement, but will be taken into consideration in the selection process.

NATURE BENEFITS?

Venture on the land and learn to go slow while you listen to the sounds of nature. Spend time on our river frontage as the water will be crisp and the landscape ever changing or take a short drive to the numerous natural features in the area on the Natchez Trace Parkway or local state parks. You'll likely still be able to see leaves on the trees and enjoy the crisp evenings with a fire. Want to rake and channel your inner child with star-gazing or hanging out with the donkeys, then this may just be the residency for you. Those staying two weeks or longer receive a guided Forest Therapy walk.

2025 HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Full Moon / super moon: October 7
2. Draconids Meteor Shower: October 7 peaks
3. New Moon: October 21
4. Orionids Meteor Shower. The Orionids is an average shower producing up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Halley, which has been known and observed since ancient times. The shower runs annually from October 2 to November 7. It peaks this year on the night of October 21 and the morning of October 22. Best viewing from a dark area after midnight

* No guarantee as to the number of participants at any one time with maximum space typically for 9 people. Based on personal interests in your residency and the participant make-up at that time, there may be group opportunities for spontaneous outings to the nearby festivals.

RESIDENCY AND LODGING FEES BASED ON LENGTH OF STAY. PLEASE REVIEW in the FAQ section HERE.


WHAT SHOULD I KNOW BEFORE I APPLY?

Please visit the FAQ for much more information, but below is a bulleted list of some things to consider.