This weekend, for all intents and purposes, served as the end of the summer season – at least when it comes to local events.

Friday saw the final installment of the City of Weirton’s inaugural summer event series, with a performance by Let’s Groove Tonight, an Earth, Wind, and Fire tribute group. The concert had been scheduled for earlier in the summer season, but was postponed out of concern for potential weather that never really arrived in the area.

Saturday (today for some of you reading this) brought us the final Second Saturday event of the year, organized by the Top of West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau.

In addition to the farmers and artisans market included in each of these monthly events, this one had set a cornhole tournament, a car cruise, an air guitar battle, as well as live performances by Everett Metz, Full Circle, and Bon Journey – a tribute group for both Bon Jovi and Journey.

There also is the Brooke County Fair taking place this weekend, with residents gathering at Brooke Hills Park to enjoy the various rides, contests, food, exhibits and more.

In another week’s time, we will be officially rolling into the autumnal season, and experiencing the variety of fall-themed celebrations and activities we have come to know in the Ohio Valley.

New Cumberland’s Fall Riverfest is set for Sept. 27 and 28, with the annual Riverfest 5K to benefit Oak Glen High School’s physical education department, along with live musical performances, the Riverfest Car Show, the Little Miss New Cumberland Pageant, and a variety of vendors lined up along River Avenue.

Barnesville’s Pumpkin Festival will be held around the same time. This festival is famous for a contest to see who can grow the largest pumpkin, with proceeds from the sale of the “king” gourd helping to keep the festival going. With more than 60 years in its history, it’s obviously doing something right.

The Wellsburg Apple Festival will be held Oct. 3-5. In its 46th year, this festival has been a central component of autumn for many in our area.

It celebrates the season as well as Wellsburg’s connections to the legendary Johnny Appleseed and the discovery of the Grimes Golden variety of apple.

I haven’t seen a definitive schedule just yet, but the festival typically features several vendors, activities for visitors of all ages, contests, and, of course, numerous ways to highlight the apple.

If one festival focused on apples isn’t enough, that same weekend also will see the Hickory Apple Festival, held in nearby Hickory, Pa. It’s been many years since I’ve attended the Hickory festival, but the large crowds it drew were mindblowing. It’s held in the area of the Mount Pleasant Township police and fire department headquarters, and visitors often had to park at the municipal offices down the road and be shuttled to the festival site.

There’s another event being planned for our area this year, which you may have heard about, although final details have not yet been announced. It will help to celebrate the season as well as some improvements made in one of our communities.

Those are just a few of the events we can look forward to as the air gets a little colder and and landscape begins to prepare for the winter months. Speaking of winter, let’s not forget about Christmas in the Park in Follansbee, which gives us an early taste of the holiday season.

Let’s all take some time in the coming weeks to gather as communities and enjoy the tastes of fall, whether it’s through our favorite pastries, ciders, fresh apples, or just picking up some seasonal decorations.

Happy (almost) fall, everyone.

(Howell, a resident of Colliers, is managing editor of The Weirton Daily Times, and can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com or followed on Twitter/X @CHowellWDT)