This time of year is so cool!  Not just the temperatures dropping, especially in the evening, but musically.

September is fun-filled and jam-packed with outdoor events, and almost all of them have a music stage.

The Festival in the Borough has become an annual tradition to end the month of September. The event takes over the entire downtown district of Washington Borough, Warren County, on Saturday, Sept. 24th.  There are small music vignettes on the sidewalk in front of some of the shops along Washington Avenue, also known as Route 57, and the main music stage in the downtown municipal parking lot.  Walking from one end to the other, you can experience a singer/songwriter with a guitar or maybe a duo with a fiddle player, grab something to eat from one of the many food vendors and head on over to rock out with a full band.

Did I mention the beer garden…oh yeah, there’s a beer garden!  Kids in tow?  Not a problem!  There’s activities for them, too.

Looking for a more sophisticated autumn event?  Then the Grand Harvest Wine & Music Festival is the one for you.  Sunday, Sept. 25, on the picturesque grounds of Rutherfurd Hall in Allamuchy, NJ, this is the seventh year for Grand Harvest and each year it gets better and better.  Five local New Jersey wineries set up to offer tastings and sell bottles to drink during the day or take home.  I see lots of folks carrying cases to their car, sometimes more than one!  Music at Grand Harvest … of course.  Five local and very talented acts will entertain you, and the food vendors will be ready to pare up a snack or a meal or a sweet treat with that red or white.  Each attendee will receive an etched stemless wine glass as a memento of the day. Visit www.grandharvestwinefest.com for tickets and more info.

Personally, I love to do my holiday shopping at events like the Festival in the Borough and Grand Harvest.  You find unique and different items that you just can’t find anywhere else and when all else fails, a bottle of local vino makes a great hostess gift or special treat for your over-21 friends and family.

Until next time, go see some live music!

Melanie Thiel of the popular Internet station, WNTI.org, can be contacted atthielm@centenarycollege.edu.