In preparing to write this article, I saw an ad online that had the phrase many youngsters dread seeing or hearing; “Back to School.” And it made me stop and realize that with the beginning of school in August, that means September is not far behind.

September is fun on many levels; it's not actually summer and not quite fall. It usually means the brutal heat of summer is past and those high temperatures have begun their pleasant decline to the cooler weather that hits in October. September also means some extremely fun, colorful and wonderful events are about to take place.

Let us begin in the sky, so to speak, with the Gatesway Balloon Festival that takes place Sept. 15-17 at the Chisholm Trail South Event Park in Broken Arrow. Hot air balloons from various states across the country will be featured, as well as live entertainment, arts and crafts and, of course, food vendors!

There's also the Oklahoma Balloon Festival from Aug 30-Sept. 4 at the Lost Lakes Amphitheater & Water Park in Oklahoma City. Admission is free, and the festival will offer several family-friendly activities.