Fall Entertaining in Columbus: How to Keep Your Patio Open Through the Holidays

It is a Saturday evening in early October. The grill is still warm, someone is refilling glasses, and the only reason anybody has mentioned going inside is that the sun dropped behind the fence and took ten degrees with it.

That is the strange thing about fall outdoor entertainment in central Ohio. The weather is rarely the problem. According to the National Weather Service’s 1991–2020 climate normals for Columbus, the normal high on October 1 is 72 degrees, and it is still 59 on Halloween. Across the month, the average high is about 66. That is patio weather in most of the country.

What actually shortens the season is smaller and more specific: low sun in everyone’s eyes, wind moving across the yard, insects arriving at dusk, and the fact that it is dark by seven. Four things, and each one has a fix.

Low sun is a five o’clock problem, not a summer problem

In July the sun is nearly overhead and an awning handles it without anyone thinking about it. In October it comes in sideways, at about eye level, right around the time guests arrive. Overhead fabric cannot reach that angle, which is why a patio that felt perfect in August suddenly has one unusable end of the table.

The Smart Drop is built for exactly this. It is a drop-down valance that attaches to the front bar of the awning and extends vertically to block the low-angle light that overhead fabric cannot address — morning glare on an east-facing patio, late-afternoon glare on a west-facing one. It also adds a layer of privacy from the street or a neighboring yard, which matters more in fall when the leaves come down. The Smart Drop is available on The Sunesta and The Sunstyle.

Screens turn a patio into a room without walls

Wind is the difference between a comfortable 62 degrees and a chilly one. It moves napkins, candles and conversation, and it is the reason people drift indoors long before the temperature justifies it.

This is where retractable screens earn their place. Prestige Shade installs two Sunesta models. The Sunroll is available in widths up to 20 feet with drops up to 12 feet. The Sentry reaches up to 18 feet wide with the same 12-foot drop, and offers inside, recessed, surface and distance mounting, so it fits a covered patio, a porch, a lanai or a pergola without a rebuild. 

Lowered, a screen cuts the wind and keeps insects out while the view stays where it was. Raised, the space goes back to being open. Both models are backed by up to 10-year fabric and frame warranties depending on the fabric chosen, and five-year motor warranties.

Light is what makes people stay

Sunset in Columbus moves earlier all month. A patio that empties at dusk is not uncomfortable — it is just dark.

LED light kits, listed among Sunesta’s Smart Lights, mount directly to the awning structure and light the space below with soft, dimmable light. They are plug-and-play, so no electrician is needed.

A few things that make the difference between lit and inviting: keep the light low and layered rather than overhead and bright, point seating outward toward the yard rather than inward at the house, and let a lowered screen define the edge of the space. A room reads as a room when it has a boundary.

The honest part about wind sensors

Ohio hands you a fair number of fast-moving fall fronts, and it is worth being precise about what automation does and does not do.

Motion sensors detect the awning’s own movement — the bouncing that wind causes — rather than measuring wind speed directly. At the recommended sensitivity setting, three detected bounce events signal the motor to retract the awning on its own. Wind sensors will detect wind speed and will retract the awning if it exceeds the preset limit. Both are genuinely useful when nobody is home.

Both should be treated as backup defense measures, though, not a first line of defense. A sudden severe gust, the kind that arrives at the leading or trailing edge of a strong storm front, can damage an awning before a sensor has time to react, even at its most sensitive setting. If severe weather is in the forecast, it is best to be proactive and retract the awning yourself. You are the best line of defense.  

October is the month to plan, not the month to wait

Every Sunesta product Prestige Shade installs is custom-built to order — your dimensions, your fabric from more than 100 selections, your frame color. Nothing comes off a shelf. Professional installation is scheduled once your order is confirmed, by Prestige Shade’s own technicians rather than a subcontractor.

That is the real argument for starting a conversation now rather than in April. Planning in the off-season means the decision gets made without a heat wave pushing it, and the work is done before the next outdoor season starts rather than partway into it.

If you already have an awning, this is also the right moment to think about protecting it. You may have a SmartCase cassette-style enclosure that wraps the fabric in 360-degree protection when the awning is retracted, shielding it from UV, moisture and dirt through the months it sits unused. It is available on The Sunesta and The Sunstyle. The Sunboot, a full fabric cover custom made for the size of your awning, is another option for protection.  This can be utilized with all awnings in the retracted state.   And finally, if you prefer absolute protection, we can help by removing your awning, placing it into storage, and returning at the beginning of the following season to re-install.  The full range of options can be viewed on the awning accessories page.

Let’s start planning together

Ready to find out what is possible for your space? Request a free in-home estimate, or call 614-230-3498. Financing is available through Acorn Finance and HFS Home Improvement Loans, subject to approved credit.

Browse custom retractable awnings to see the three models and what each one can span.