September is the time to step out and explore the local charm of Alabama's small towns and downtowns. Over in Moulton at the Oakville Indian Mounds Education Center folks will gather for the Chickasaw Trails Invitational on Sept 2nd, featuring top rated cross country championship course featuring scenic wooded trails that allow for a fast race and scenic views. Call 256-566-4410 or visit www.lawrencealabama.com for more details on this event.

Take a journey over to the capitol city of Montgomery for the Summer Blossoms: A Bouquet for Alabama, which runs through Sept 3rd. This FREE event will feature presentations of glass, pottery, painting, and metal sculpture between 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and will be held on the first floor of the RSA Tower in the Alabama Artists Gallery. To learn more about this event call 334-242-4076, ext 250 or visit www.arts.alabama.gov.

Also over the Labor Day Weekend are several other events in Alabama's small towns and downtowns, including:

Alabama Butterbean Festival in Pinson on Fri., 5- 10 p.m.; Sat., 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.. This FREE event takes place on Historic Pinson Main St. and is a fun day of family-friendly events, arts & crafts market, a super kidz zone, car show, children parade, Tail Waggin' Pagent, Mr. & Miss Butterbean Pageant, golf tournament, fashion show, 5k race & 1 mile fun run, entertainment stages, and much more.

The annual St. William Seafood Festival is held in Guntersville at Civitan Park. Seafood lovers can feast on St. William famous seafood which includes creole-style file' gumbo, cajun boiled shrimp and fresh crawfish. Hushpuppies and slaw are offered a la carte. There will also be a 1/2 BBQ chicken dinner or a boneless catfish dinner available. This event kicks off at 10:30 a.m.

August is also the time for many state fairs, which is the case in Oneonta, Alabama when you can enjoy all the entertainment, carnival rides, and fair food you can handle at the Annual Blount County Fair that runs Sep 14-18th. Admission charged for the fair that takes place at the Blount County-Oneonta Agri-Business Center. One prices get you in to enjoy all the festivities, including the exhibits from fruits and vegetables to crafts and artwork. See displays from area businesses and organizations and youth exhibits from 4-H, FFA and FCCLA clubs. Enjoy the beef cattle show on Thursday night and the halter horse show on Friday night. 8-10:30 p.m.

Save some room for some good old fashion BBQ at the Riverfest Barbecue Cook-Off in Decatur, Alabama on Sep 17-18th. Held in Ingalls Harbor on Fri., Noon- 10 p.m. and Sat., 10 a.m.- 10 p.m., the KCBS sanctioned barbecue cook-off features cooking teams from across the U.S. competing for cash prizes and the chance to compete in Kansa City. There will also be live musical and a variety of food for sale, and all the money raised goes to local charities. This means you get to enjoy great BBQ and give back to the communities - sounds like a good combination to me!