September festivals dot the calendar

Fun things are happening in the month of September, as festivals and fairs dot the calendar.

Benton

Benton Neighbor Days started at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, and will continue until Saturday, Sept. 2. Events include fair rides, miss and mister pageant, Heartland Idol, kiddie tractor pull, Kid's Color Run and 5K. There is no entrance fee to attend the festival.

Advance

Labor Day picnics are a tradition in Advance, Missouri, and will happen once again this year. Starting Sunday, Sept. 3, Advance will host Sunday in the Park with an entire day full of events. Bounce houses, vendors, video game tournaments and a beer garden will open at noon. A beauty pageant will be at 1 p.m. on the stage with live entertainment from Chris Welch at the beer garden. Ending the night will be a lip sync battle for children at 5 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 4, will be the annual Advance Labor Day picnic, starting with a parade at 10 a.m.. Following the parade, Umfleet Park will open including bounce houses, vendors and a beer garden. Throughout the day there will be a cornhole tournament, quilt show, car show and a youth square dance expo.

Cape Girardeau

SEMO District Fair is back in town from Saturday, Sept. 9, to Saturday, Sept. 16. To kick things off, the annual fair parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 9 at Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau, followed later in the night with a Demolition Derby. The annual SEMO District Fair will be set up at the Arena Park fairground and will offer many opportunities for family fun. There will be many free events for those attending as well as the usual fair rides and food.

For a daily schedule of events happening at the fair, go to www.semofair.com/schedule-of-events/.

Shipyard Music Festival will be returning Friday and Saturday, Sept. 22 and 23, for its fifth year and will feature music to suit all tastes.The two-day festival will again be held on the grounds of Century Casino Cape Girardeau. Headlining acts are Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors and The Infamous Stringdusters. Other bands slated to perform are Southern Avenue, Seratones, Willi Carlisle, The Local Honeys, Dawson Hollow, National Park Radio, Arlie, Ax and the Hatchetmen, In the Pines, Feel, Shaun Munday, Of Sea and Stone, Jessie Schupbach and The Jumper Cables. The festival will also include food and beverage vendors, interactive experiences hosted by the event sponsors, and activities for the kids. Tickets are on sale now at www.shipyardfest.com.

Altenberg

Starting Friday, Sept. 22, the East Perry Community Fair will start. The two-day community fair will include events such as a 4x4 tractor pull, 4-H and FFA animal judging, fair rides, live music by many artists and groups, a parade and a mule-jumping competition. The fair has free entrance, free entertainment and free parking. For more information on this community fair go to www.facebook.com/p/East-Perry-Community-Fair-100057489849811/.