The kids may be back to school but it’s not all pumpkin spice and tweed just yet.  Calendar aside, September still feels a lot like summer and there are plenty of things to do that take advantage of the warm days and sunshine.

The Glen Echo Fire Department holds its annual bingo night fundraiser at Glen Echo Park on Friday, September 13 – a tradition since the 1930s.  All ages are welcome and there will be prizes appropriate for all ages. There’s a suggested donation of $5 for all bingo cards, and all proceeds benefit the volunteer fire department.

Go for one final ride on the Dentzel carousel at Glen Echo Park’s Then and Wow! Festival on Sept 27.  The festival brings back some of the old midway vibe of the park, with magic shows, juggling, and arcade games. Then on Oct. 3, Taste of Bethesda brings out more than 50 restaurants and five stages of entertainment to Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle.

Everyone knows it’s too hot for armor and velvet cloaks in the middle of summer, so the Maryland Renaissance Festival is appropriately timed for cooler weather.  The long-running festival is open weekends through Oct. 25, in Crownsville, Maryland, near Annapolis.

Montgomery County’s fair was in August, but don’t despair; you still have plenty of opportunities to enjoy fried dough, prize heifers and attractive produce.  In fact, you could go to a different Maryland county fair nearly every weekend in September, if that’s your thing. The Prince George’s County Fair is Sept. 10-13 in Upper Marlboro; Anne Arundel County Fair is Sept. 16-20 in Crownsville; Charles County Fair is Sept. 17- 20 in La Plata; Great Frederick Fair is Sept. 18-26 in Frederick; and Calvert County Fair is Sept. 30-Oct. 4 in Prince Frederick.

WalkingTown DC takes place Sept. 19-27, offering dozens of walking tours around the city. These tours go way beyond the basics: one tour leaves the crowds of M Street behind and explores Herring Hill and the working-class neighborhoods and alleys around Georgetown. Another tour goes deep into the Capitol grounds, looking at Frederick Law Olmsted’s designs and the Capitol’s plants, terraces, brick summerhouse, stone and ironwork, views and circulation paths. Tours vary in length and rigor; check the website and find a tour that fits.

Finally, mark your calendars for Oct. 2, the Bannockburn Family Film Fest at the Bannockburn Clubhouse.  Outdoor short films under the stars, an epic bake sale, food trucks, and a raffle, and you can walk home.  Always a fun night and proceeds benefit Bannockburn Nursery School.

By Angela Hirsch

** Photo via Glen Echo Park website **