The weather many wished for during the triple-digit days of summer is finally upon us.

Cooler temperatures are beginning to make their way to our area and that means relief from the last oven-like days of summer. There will still be a few days when temperatures will warm up to unseasonable highs, but for the most part, the days of 90 to 100 degree weather with 95 to 100 percent humidity are leaving as more seasonable weather comes down from the north and places a slight chill over the area.

There is something about fall in the South. The cool down from the summer months comes gradually as temperatures slowly decline from the 90s of June, July and August to the 60s, 50s and 40s that precede usually temperate winters, and it becomes a time for special seasonal events that usher in the Christmas season.

Cooler temperatures also mean a tour of the Vicksburg National Military Park will be more enjoyable, making it easier and more comfortable to get out of the car and spend the time getting a good look at the various sights on the battlefield area and exhibits like the Cairo and the Illinois and Texas Memorials.

The cooler days of fall open the doors for a lot of activities in our area, with the Southern Heritage Foundation holding its annual Concert in the Courtyard series presenting music by local groups over the next three Fridays and the opportunity to sample the fare from local restaurants for lunch. They also made two earlier events, the Bricks and Spokes bicycle ride and the Over the River Run more enjoyable for participants and spectators alike.

But Bricks and Spokes and the Over the River Run are only the preliminaries of the area’s activities set for the fall and the even cooler days that follow.

High school football is in full swing and headed for the playoffs in November with Warren Central, Vicksburg and St. Aloysius still in contention for post season play.

And there is Thanksgiving, which brings together friends and families.

Events like Downtown Vicksburg’s 19th Old-Fashioned Christmas Open House, a time when the downtown merchants open their doors with goodies and special sales for their customers, follows the Thanksgiving season and leads into the Christmas season with the annual Downtown Vicksburg Christmas Parade, a nighttime parade featuring lighted floats and Santa, the Southern Cultural Heritage Center’s Holly Days, an arts and crafts show featuring ideas for gifts and home decorating, and the WVBG’s annual Christmas Caroling Contest at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

So as the temperatures become seasonal and we watch the leaves begin to turn and put away the yard tools for the season, we need to remember that although the weather is cooling down there are still a lot of things to see and do in the community, and right now is a good time to get out and go to the Military Park, take a walk downtown and get out and support our seasonal events.