SEPTEMBER

  September 2–4 - West
41st ANNUAL WESTFEST... Labor Day weekend festivities with Czech foods, music, international entertainment, dancing, pastries, costumes, arts & crafts, horseshoe tournament, Polka Mass, races, sports, children’s area & kolache baking contest at Rodeo & Fair Grounds. (254) 826-5058. www.westfest.com.

  September 5 - Elm Mott
SORGHUM FESTIVAL... On Monday of Labor Day Weekend, Homestead Craft Village presents traditional pressing of homegrown sorghum pressing & cook-off, special music, tasty foods, outdoor BBQ & brick oven pizza, cranked ice cream, horse-drawn hayrides and craft demonstrations. 10am to 5pm. North of Waco, go west off IH-35 for five miles. For more details, call (254) 754-9600 or visit www.HomesteadHeritage.com/events.

  September 7–10 - Alvarado
PIONEERS & OLD SETTLERS 123rd REUNION... Parade, queen’s contest, baby contest, Battle of the Bands, fiddler’s competition, big carnival, car show & vendor booths at “The Premier Homecoming Event of Texas.” Write Tom Durington, P. O. Box 217, Alvarado, TX 76009. Free Admission. $2 Parking. (817) 538-2337.

  September 9–11 - Gainesville
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT BALLOON SPECTACULAR... Enjoy traditional ballooning events, mass ascensions, balloon competitions & glows at Gainesville Municipal Airport. Also kite performances, 5K/10K Run, steak cook-off, headliner Dave Alexander on stage, food & merchandise vendors, Kidz Zone, and more throughout the day. Benefiting the Gainesville’s North Texas Medical Center. Tickets: $5. www.theskysthelimit.org.

  September 10 - Denton
17th ARTS, ANTIQUES & AUTOS EXTRAVAGANZA... Saturday on Historic Denton’s Downtown Square, 110 W. Hickory St. FREE admission. Classic/hot rod/custom car, truck & motorcycle show, fine art & crafts show, live music, Kid Zone, and festival foods make this fun for the entire family. 9am-3pm. www.dentonmainstreet.org, (940) 349-8529, or info@dentonmainstreet.org.

  September 16–18 - Grandview
ANTIQUE ALLEY TEXAS... Grand-view offers Antique Alley Texas and 30+ Miles of Shopping! Between Grandview & Cleburne, pasture sales offer free, safe parking at locations with 100’s of vendors. Please do not park on highway or easements! Check www.AntiqueAlleyTexas.com, (817) 240-4948, and Facebook.com/Antique Alley.

  September 16, 17, 18 - Cleburne
WHIPP FARM ANTIQUE ALLEY SHOW... Discover 180 dealer booths at Whipp Farm, 1900 E. on FM4 South, during the com-munity’s bi-annual Antique Alley & Yard Sale. Vendor Inquiries Welcome! For more info: www.whippfarmproductions.com, (817) 641-0183 or whipp.farm.antiques@gmail.com.

  September 17 - Springtown
32nd ANNUAL WILD WEST FEST... On the Square, 9am-4pm. Parade at 10am. Over 200 booths selling arts, crafts & some-thing for everyone. Enjoy live entertainment, Legends of Texas gunfighters, Mock Jail, 17th annual BBQ cook-off, and numerous rides/activities in children’s area. Booths: $75+ elec. (optional). Food vendors: 10x10= $125+ electric. Set-up starts 6am. (817) 220-7828. www.wildwestfestival.org.

  September 24–25 - Comanche
COMANCHE COUNTY POW-WOW... 35th annual heritage festival with live entertainment, great food, artisan & commercial vendors, art & photography show, state sanctioned BBQ cook-off, antique tractor show, largest car show in Central Texas. Approx. 10,000 attendance in beautiful shady City Park. Visit www.ComancheChamber.org. (325) 356-3233.

  September 30–October 1 - Possum Kingdom Lake
POSSUM FEST… Come cook at the 20th Annual Great Out-doors BBQ & Chili Cook-Off! Also enjoy auction/raffle items & vendors. For info: www.possumkingdomlake.com, email pkchamber@possumkingdomlake.com, (940) 779-2424 or toll-free (888) 779-8330.

OCTOBER

  October 1 - Eastland
OLD RIPFEST ANNUAL FESTIVAL... First Saturday in October in Downtown Eastland. Parade, car show, 5K run, live music, food, over 100 vendors, games, fish fry & bull-riding. And see legendary “Old Rip”! www.eastlandchamber.com. (254) 629-2332. chamber@eastland.net.

  October 1 - Aubrey
AUBREY PEANUT FESTIVAL... Dating back to 1986, Peanut Fest on the first Saturday of October has been celebrating the harvest of the local cash crop. Today it honors the area’s peanut heritage with live music, street performers, gunslingers, 100 arts/crafts booths, 10am parade & more. Located at 301 S. Main Street. (940) 343-1313. www.AubreyPeanutFestival.com. Email: aubrey@aubreypeanutfestival.com.

  October 1 - Flower Mound
FALL FESTIVAL... Abiding Peace Com-munity Church presents fun events—Car Show (entry fee required; 8am check-in), a 5K Run/Walk (entry fee required; 7am check-in & 8am run), kids activities, FREE kids’ haircuts, face painting and Carved Pumpkin Contest (entry fee required). 10am-3pm. Also *SEEKING VENDORS*. Held at 1117 W. College Parkway in Flower Mound. Contact Renea Kren (972) 971-8989 or renea.kren2014@gmail.com.

  October 6–9 - Seagoville
SEAGOFEST... Celebrate autumn with carnival rides, arts & crafts, parade, car show, children’s activities, food vendors, games, great musical entertainers, and free concerts all four nights—Gospel, Rock & Country. Celebrate Autumn in Seagoville! (972) 287-5184.

  October 8 - Mineral Wells
37th CRAZY WATER FESTIVAL... Downtown’s Famous Water Company Pavilion celebrates local “crazy” mineral water! Enjoy continuous live entertainment on 3 stages, crafts, vendors, car show, 5K run, street art, crazy water beer, games & rides. NW 6th Street. Fri 5:30pm- 8:30pm; Sat 9am-6pm. www.crazywaterfestival.org. (940) 325-8870.

  October 8 - Gainesville
DEPOT DAY FESTIVAL... Gainesville Main Street presents live entertainment, gun-fighters, a huge antique & classic car show, food, arts & crafts and much more! Free admission. For more info: (940) 665-2831. Like us on www.Facebook: GainesvilleTxDepotDayFestival.

  October 14–15 - Farmers Branch
BLOOMIN’ BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL & CHILI COOK-OFF... Two days of great music and beautiful flowers under the Texas sky! Activities include a KidZone, Chili Cook-Off, and Arts & Crafts Market-place. The cook-off is held Saturday, October 15th. Farmers Branch Historical Park. (972) 919-2631. www.bloominbluegrass.com.

  October 15 - Ennis
15th ANNUAL AUTUMN DAYS IN ENNIS FALL FEST... Celebrate the changing of the season! Festive live music, great foods, handmade arts & crafts vendors, children’s activities, petting zoo & pumpkin decorating. Historic Downtown. 10am-4pm. www.visitennis.org. (972) 878-4748. .

  October 15 - Midlothian
ANNUAL MIDLOTHIAN FALL FESTIVAL... Celebrate Autumn with arts & crafts, 5K Run, food, Fine Arts Show, entertainment, and more family fun. Sponsored by Midlothian Chamber of Commerce. 9am-2pm at MISD Multi-Purpose Stadium. FREE admission. Vendor booths available. (972) 723-8600. www.midlothianchamber.org.

  October 15 - Whitesboro
51st ANNUAL PEANUT FESTIVAL... Celebrate over 50 years of family fun in downtown Whitesboro. Approx. 20,000 visitors visit the entertainment-filled day. Arts & crafts, food vendors, tractor exhibit, car show, musical entertainers, drawings and lots of fun. Free to public. Vendor space available. Chamber of Commerce: (903) 564-3331.

  October 15 - Kerens
12th ANNUAL COTTON HARVEST FESTIVAL... Enjoy country lifestyle foods, hot air balloons, street dance, arts & crafts, carnival, live entertainment, chili cook-off, mule wagon rides, antique tractor show & pull, quilt show, pageant, classic cars & more! 9am-10pm. Historic Downtown. 14 miles east of Corsicana on Hwy 31. (903) 396-2665. www.kerenscottonharvestfestival.com.

  October 22 - Hamilton
45th HAMILTON COUNTY DOVE FESTIVAL & WILD WING COVE COOK-OFF... Come celebrate on the historical downtown square! Festivities include a parade, Wild Wing Dove Cook-off, gospel singing, 5K run, Saturday evening rodeo & dance, pageant, gun show, vendor booths, wine tasting, food, kids events & live music. Free Admission. www.hamiltondovefest.com. (254) 386-3216. www.hamiltontexas.com.

  October 22–23 - Muenster
ANNUAL OKTOBERFEST... Enjoy great musical entertainment, a Stein-Hoisting competition, Weiner Dog Race, Best Dirndl & Lederhosen contest, Bier Belly contest, fun run, bike rally and more at Heritage Park Pavilion, 301 N. Ash. For more details: (940) 759-2227 or www.muensterchamber.com or www.oktoberfestmuenster.com.

  October 29 - Waxahachie
TEXAS COUNTRY REPORTER FESTIVAL... Meet Texas Country Reporter stars Bob & Kelli Phillips. Plus, more than 250 artisans display their colorful talents in historic downtown Waxahachie on Saturday, October 29. www.waxahachiecvb.com (469) 309-4040.

  October 29 - Whitewright
14th GRAND STREET FALL FESTIVAL... Whitewright Area Chamber of Commerce presents a Family Fun Run, arts/crafts, food vendors, live entertainment, kids' activities & more. Historic Downtown, 9am-4pm. Also seeking food, art & craft vendors. www.whitewright.org  or (903) 421-4214.

DECEMBER

  December 3 - Clifton
NORWEGIAN COUNTRY CHRISTMAS TOUR... “The Norwegian Capital of Texas” presents its tour of homes, history & art from 9am to 5pm. Evening events include dancers, carriage rides, caroling & shopping! Tickets: $10; children 12 & under $5. Come experience the warmth of Norwegian culture. 1-800-344-3720. www.cliftontexas.org.  v