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September is a month that has inspired artists to break out in song over and over again.

From Frank Sinatra’s “The September of my Years” to Green Day’s “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” the month comes up again and again in the lexicon of our American soundtrack. From the funky sounds of Earth, Wind and Fire asking if we remember dancing in September to the classic “September Morn” by Neil Diamond, this non-descript, generic brand month comes up again and again in songs perhaps because it is relatively easy to rhyme or perhaps because it has three syllables.

There are sunny, cool days, but it can just as well be 90 degrees and humid at some points in the month. It can be a dry month leading into fall, or the area can just as easily get ran over by a hurricane.

September is when college football returns, when school schedules crank back up to full speed and often when we first feel that familiar chill in the air that lets us know fall isn’t far behind. It’s when coffee shops bring out pumpkin spice way too early and other residents have days when they use the heat and air conditioning in the same day.

It’s a time for fairs and fall festivals. In Farmville, the weekend of September 17 will feature three events expected to bring more than 17,000 people to town on one day. The Heart of Virginia Festival makes a special fall appearance after being canceled in May of 2020 and May of 2021 due to COVID-19. On that same weekend, Longwood will have its family weekend and Hampden-Sydney College will have its Hall of Fame weekend game at home against Shenandoah University.

It’s pretty clear it will not be “A Lonely September” as the band the Plain White T’s described in their sound from 2007.

In this issue of Farmville the Magazine, we have a busy September as well with some fresh new voices writing articles for us this month. Shannon Watkins, a new staff writer here at Farmville the Magazine, profiles the fun that can be found at Sandy River Outdoor Adventures in Rice where you can spend the night in a tipi and speed through the forest on a zip line. Senior Restaurant Correspondent Alexa Massey gives us a taste of the sweet treats that come from Farmville’s Main Street at Mill Street Sweets on Main. There’s also a piece from Dr. Ryan Pemberton of Hampden-Sydney College profiling former Hampden-Sydney President General Samuel Wilson and also a contribution from Jeanne Grunert who lets us in on the secret of the hidden treasure of folk art that can be found in Worsham at Folk Art by Kathryn where Kathryn Burch exhibits a wide array of wonderfully artistic creations.

Our old friend Cynthia Wood tells us how to handle the dog days of gardening and the Where Am I photo is sure to challenge this month.

Enjoy what we hope will be a collection of glorious September morns.

As always, if you have suggestions or feedback about stories you would like to see in the coming editions of the magazine please let me know by sending an email to Roger.Watson@FarmvilleTheMag.com.