Getting around for the Autumn Leaves Festival can take a couple of different forms this year as trolley, helicopter and plane rides are being offered.
There is a complimentary shuttle being offered on the Good Time Charlie Trolley. It will run Friday from 1 to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Pick-up locations are at the Hampton Inn, the Holiday Inn Express and Quality Inn, all of which are on U.S. 601. The trolley also will pick up from the Royal Inn & Suites near U.S. 52 and Newsome Street, and it will pick up at the Mayberry Motor Inn and Knights Inn, both of which are located on U.S. 52 north of the mall. Festival drop-off points are on South Main Street in front of the municipal building and on North Main Street near the Dr. Robert Smith House above Rawley Avenue.
This year, the airport is providing helicopter and airplane rides. Rides will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 1 to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Rides will be $25 per person. The aircraft will fly over top of the festival during the flight. Both aircraft can hold three passengers. For directions from the festival to the airport, call 789-5153.
There will be inflatables on City Hall Street for kids during the festival as well.
For those who want to check on what the crowds are like before coming to the festival, there are two live streaming cameras on Main Street. They can be viewed at http://www.fastlinkcommunications.com.
Reach Mondee Tilley at mtilley@heartlandpublications.com or at 719-1930.



















