By Carl Hoover

Tribune-Herald entertainment editor

Texas communities looking for an excuse to hold a festival come up with some odd things to celebrate. Clute pays tribute to mosquitoes, while Marshall recognizes fire ants. Mineral Wells has its Crazy Water, and landlocked The Colony its pirates.

This Saturday’s Margarita & Salsa Festival has a reasonable subject as a fundraising attraction — the broad, dual appeal of Tex-Mex spice and alcohol — but a look at the fall festival season that gets rolling Labor Day weekend shows there’s more than generic city festivals or county fairs.

Within a morning’s drive of Waco are celebrations of bats, jazz music, hot air balloons, antique tractors, German culture, Czech culture, Scottish culture, wine, yams, roses, handmade crafts, medieval times, cotton, agricultural history, creative arts, books, Christmas in November and pumpkins.

Here’s a roundup of festivals and special events planned for this fall’s weekends.

Aug. 23, Margarita & Salsa Festival, Waco (www.hotfair.com/main.cfm?ID=119; 776-1660)

Aug. 29-31, Central Texas State Fair, Belton (www.centraltexasstatefair.com; 254-933-5353)

Aug. 30-31, WestFest, West (www.westfest.com)

Aug. 30-31, Batfest!, Austin (www.austin.about.com/od/annualevents/p/labor_day.htm)

Aug. 31, Jazz in the Square Festival, Waco (www.wacoperformingarts.org)

Sept. 1, Sweet Sorghum Festival, Homestead Heritage near Gholson (www.homesteadheritage.com; 254-754-9600)

Sept. 11-14, GrapeFest, Grapevine (www.grapevinetexasusa.com/FestivalsAndEvents/GrapeFest/tabid/228/Default.aspx; 800-457-6338)

Sept. 13, Go Texan Days/Cotton Pickin’ Fair, Hillsboro (254-582-2481)

Sept. 18-21, Plano Balloon Festival, Plano (www.planoballoonfest.org; 972-867-7566)

Sept. 20-21, Waco Cultural Arts Fest, Waco (www.wacoartsfest.org; 772-7637)

Sept. 20, Founders’ Day, McGregor (www.mcgregor-texas.com/foundersday.htm; 254-840-0123)

Sept. 22-28, Conservatory Art Classic, Bosque Conservatory, Clifton (www.bosqueconservatory.com/artclassic.aspx; 254-675-3724)

Sept. 27-28, Oct. 4-5, Middlefaire Renaissance Festival, Hillsboro (www.middlefest.com; 254-548-6238)

Sept. 27, Moody Cotton Harvest Festival, Moody (www.moodycottonharvestfestival.org; 254-853-9476)

Oct. 1-19, State Fair of Texas, Dallas (www.bigtex.com; 214-565-9931)

Oct. 2-11, Heart O’ Texas Fair and Rodeo, Waco (www.hotfair.com; 776-1660)

Oct. 3-5, Texas Early Day Tractor and Engine Association, Temple (www.tedtea.org)

Oct. 3-5, Oktoberfest, Fredericksburg (www.oktoberfestinfbg.com; 866-839-3378)

Oct. 11, Pumpkin Festival, Glen Rose (www.glenrosetexas.net/events.html; 254-573-5033)

Oct. 11-Nov. 30, Texas Renaissance Festival, Plantersville (www.texrenfest.com; 800-458-3435)

Oct. 15-19, East Texas Yamboree, Gilmer (www.yamboree.com; 903-843-2413)

Oct. 16-19, Texas Rose Festival, Tyler (www.texasrosefestival.com; 903-597-3130)

Oct. 18, Czech Feszt, Temple (chmgc.com/czechfeszt.html; 254-298-5610)

Oct. 31, Wurstfest, New Braunfels (www.wurstfest.com; 830-625-9167)

Nov. 1, Baylor Homecoming, Waco (www.baylor.edu/homecoming/splash.php)

Nov. 1-2, Texas Book Festival, Austin (www.texasbookfestival.org; 512-477-4055)

Nov. 7-9, Gathering of the Clans, Salado (www.ctam-salado.org)

Nov. 15-16, 22-23, 29-30, Dec. 5-7, 13-14, Christmas on the Brazos, Waco (www.historicwaco.org/calendar.htm; 753-5166)

Nov. 22, Brazos Valley Worldfest, Bryan (www.brazosvalleyworldfest.org; 979-862-6700)

Nov. 28-30, Homestead Craft and Children’s Fair, Homestead Heritage near Gholson (www.homesteadheritage.com; 254-754-9600)

Nov. 28-30, Dec. 6-7 and 13-14, Candlelight Home Tours/Victorian Christmas Celebration, Waxahachie (972-937-2390)

Nov. 29, Christmas in the Country, Lorena (254-857-4151)

choover@wacotrib.com

757-5749