September always feels like a month with one foot in the present and one already stepping into what comes next.
We are still receiving fall and autumn merchandise in the shops, the gardens are beginning to shift, and the Village starts to take on that early hint of the season ahead. At the same time, behind the scenes, everyone is already deep into planning for one of our busiest stretches of the year.
Menus need to be developed for fall and the holidays. Décor plans are being pulled together. Events are filling the calendar. There are details to sort through for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and everything in between. It is one of those times of year when there always seems to be a little more happening than anyone can see from the outside.
And then there is retail.
While we are unpacking fall deliveries and thinking about holiday, part of my brain is already somewhere entirely different—Spring 2027.
Buying season means looking months ahead. Colors, fabrics, silhouettes, accessories, and collections are being considered now for a season that still feels very far away. It is always a funny part of the job: standing in a room surrounded by sweaters and wool coats while making decisions about linen, sandals, and spring color.
That is September at Fearrington.
It is a transition month in every sense. We are enjoying what is arriving now, preparing for what is just around the corner, and planning for what comes long after that.
It can be busy—very busy—but there is also something energizing about it. So much is taking shape at once, and every department is moving toward the next season in its own way.
By the time fall truly settles in, much of the work has already been done.
And despite the pace of September, there is something wonderful about knowing what is just ahead—the cooler days, the changing gardens, the return of favorite fall traditions, and the beginning of a season at Fearrington that always feels especially full of energy, beauty, and anticipation.
