Summertime. It can mean many things to many people. One thing it means for many in the Deerfield Valley is events. Lots of them. While there have already been a number of events that have taken place over the past few weeks, the events calendar is about to kick into high gear.

Last week we bemoaned the loss of the Winter Dew Tour. As much of a loss as it is to the region, both economically and from a public relations perspective, we still have a plethora of wonderful events coming up.

This week we celebrate, because Friday starts a run of events that doesn’t end until well into October. Here’s a sampling: Blueberry Festival, Old Home Week, Farmers’ Day Fair, Brewers Festival, Best Dam Walk, Taste of The Deerfield Valley , Vermont Life Wine and Harvest Festival, Dover Bicentennial, Octoberfest, and many more we’re certain we missed.

The great thing about them is they are 100% owned and operated by local entities. No promoter in Chicago or LA can say “Time to bust a move” and pull up stakes. That’s not to say events still won’t come and go. They will. But when events are locally driven, they tend to stay put a little longer, and have a more vested interest in the community

Nobody should say there isn’t anything to do here in the Deerfield Valley.

The Blueberry Festival alone offers scores of micro-events within the broader scope of the festival. From pancake breakfasts to car show, from the parade to Jell-O jumping, there is enough going on over the two weeks to keep just about everyone busy, if they want to be.

What about local events gaining broader recognition? Regional or national media attention? While none of our homegrown events can yet match the star power of something like the Dew Tour, there is growing momentum for many. Again, look at the Blueberry Festival. It has received statewide recognition, and is beginning to land on the radar screens of some national media. The same can be said for the Wine and Harvest Festival.

It appears the Taste of the Valley is also poised to make a leap this year. With the arrival of Myron Mixon and the following he will bring to the event, the Taste is ready to move to another level.

For many folks in the area, the hardest thing will be to decide what events to go to or participate in. By the way, participation is key. Volunteers are the linchpins of locally-produced events. Without them, there wouldn’t be the kind of events we have here. Sure, it’s the event organizers who bring the vision. But it is the volunteers, the ones who give a few or many hours of their precious time, who make the events happen.

We urge everyone to head out and enjoy the summer fun ahead. Pick an event or two, help out if possible, but in any event have a fantastic time.