By Joanie Jasper

Contributing columnist

What’s Up Middlesboro!

What’s up, Middlesboro? Are you as excited as me to start feeling that cool breeze move gently through the trees? There is something about the cool breezes mixed with high school/college football, pumpkin spice everything, evening fire pit socials, the changing color of the trees, and seeing Christmas stuff in all of the stores that makes me smile. I hope that you are finding some joy in at least some of those things too.

Last Saturday I was lucky enough to spend the day at The Emporium at 2120. I was happy to be downtown. What are you thinking about the sidewalk work? I think it looks awesome. Having the sidewalks repaired and the trip-you flower beds removed is providing downtown shop-owners the opportunity to put out some of their merchandise in front of their shops. There are some really nice flower pots that will be going out throughout downtown too (at least that was the plan).

Let me share some events that are coming to the area:

Sept. 14-16: Black Gold Festival in Hazard. It makes me want to sing the Beverly Hillbillies theme song.

Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m. New Day will be in concert at Thompson Park in Barbourville. Take a chair or blanket and enjoy the music.

Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. at the Harlan Center there will be a mystery dinner theatre- The Reveal. Tickets are only $30. This would be fun for a date night.

Now to start your Saturday, Sept. 16 off right head over to Harrogate Plant and Produce and get you some goodies from Dosie Dough. Leah will open at 9am, so make sure to be there then so you can get something yummy. She told me that she will have her delicious bagel bites.

Also on Sept. 16 starting at 10 a.m. Cumberland Gap will be hosting the White Lightning Trail Festival. They tell me that there will be no White Lightning to taste, but there will be lots of other fun things to do.

Sept. 16 from noon to 10 p.m. our friends at the Anxious Hippy (Pineville and Harlan) are having Hippy-Lachian Mountain Music Festival at Pine Mountain State Park. Tickets are just $2 to get you in to have a hippin’ good time.

Sept. 16 downtown Middlesboro from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. will be the spot to be for Crusin’ the Crater car show. Bill Partin and his crew always bring the fun to each of these car shows.

Now if motorcycles are what rev your engine then head up to Harlan and be a part of The Iron- the Baddest Motorcycle Ride in Appalachia. They will get the ride going at 9 a.m.

If cars and motorcycles are not your thing then how about a concert with the Bellamy Brothers. This concert will be at 7 p.m. at the Union County High School in Maynardville, Tennessee. Tickets to enjoy this concert are just $15.

There is so much to do next weekend. Get out and enjoy some of the events.