Autumn Travel Assignments:Fall Festivals You Don't Want to Miss
By Katelynne Shepard, contributor
Nursing is a high-stress job, which is why it's important to take plenty of downtime during your off hours to pursue hobbies you enjoy and get out of the clinical environment. Another way to combat burnout and compassion fatigue is to get outside and experience all your community has to offer. If you're a travel nurse, you get the added benefit of being able to experience different communities, all with their own unique cultures, across the country.
Things-to-do During your Autumn Travel Nurse Assignments
1. West Side Nut Club Fall Festival
Every October, Evansville, Indiana, prepares for one of its biggest events of the year. The West Side Nut Club Fall Festival brings more than 100,000 people together on Franklin Street for a week of fun, food and festivities. The festival has more than 130 food booths, so you can sample anything from elephant ears and fried pickles to homemade cobblers and plenty of ethnic fare. There's also live entertainment, carnival rides, multiple parades and a tug-of-war competition.
2. Dia de los Muertos
Dia de los Muertos means day of the dead, and while this may sound gloomy, it's anything but. This is a traditional Mexican holiday that's supposed to celebrate the lives of all the loved ones that have passed. In Los Angeles, this festival takes place in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and includes everything from traditional Aztec blessings to altar displays and an art exhibition. Check out locally made arts and crafts, many of which are also for sale, and watch the ritual dancers that perform in full costume with their faces painted with strikingly colorful skulls.
3. International Balloon Fiesta
What started with just 13 hot air balloons in 1972 has grown to one of the most visited festivals in the country, with around 700 balloons all launched from Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque across a span of nine days. In addition to watching the balloons take off and float through the New Mexico sky, the International Balloon Fiesta has plenty to do on the ground. The 365-acre park houses chainsaw carving exhibitions, sky divers and live entertainment, and there's a spectacular fireworks show after dark.
4. Oktoberfest
If you find yourself in the Big Easy for a travel nursing assignment in early October, checking out Oktoberfest NOLA is a must-do. This festival is all things German, and the food is one of the biggest draws. Sample everything from brats to Bavarian pretzels, and top it all off with one of 20 German beers offered. After you've had your fill, stick around to watch the entertainment, including chicken dancing and Dachshund races, or participate in the fun first-hand and enter the annual costume contest.
5. Harvest on the Harbor
While you may be more familiar with the city's namesake on the west coast, Portland, Maine, is famous in its own right and has been named the "Foodiest Small Town in America." And that's what the three-day Harvest on the Harbor is all about. Sample fresh, local cuisine, including seafood dishes and craft beers, from some of the top eateries in town, all while taking in the colorful foliage that peaks at the end of October.
Whether you're ready to embrace all things fall or you prefer to spend the autumn months in a permanent summer location like Hawaii, travel nursing assignments let you explore everything the states have to offer all while gaining valuable experience and taking advantage of networking opportunities that can help you advance your career.