School is back in session and fall is just around the corner. September is a busy month filled with activities in Hays.

Below are a few highlights from the Convention and Visitors Bureau September Calendar of Events.

• Downtown Hays Market open Saturdays 7:30-11 a.m. in 10th Street parking lot between Main and Fort
• FHSU football vs. Missouri Southern Kickoff Classic game Thu., Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. in  FHSU Lewis Field Stadium
• Wines and Steins Fri., Sept. 9, at 6 p.m. in Fox Pavilion. See a business you may not be familiar with, socialize with friends and family, neighbors and supporters of beautiful Downtown Hays. Enjoy an evening stroll through Downtown Hays sampling wines, microbrews  and hors d’oeuvres. End the evening with live music, complimentary drinks, giveaways and delicious food at the post-stroll celebration and auction.
• 7th annual Community Block Party Sat., Sept. 10, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the new location, Big Creek Crossing. Incredible giveaways as well as great options on site, including Snow Cone Express face painting, Nex-Tech train, free ice cream and much more.
• Numerous family activities and events at the Hays Public Library
• 6th annual Free Spirit Run in memory of Jordyn Claiborn who was killed in a car accident Sept. 11, 2009.  Sat. Sept. 17 at 10 a.m. at Dusty Glassman Ballfields
• Sternberg Museum of Natural History’s Fall Paleontology Camp Sat., Sept. 25-Sept. 30, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. To accommodate home-schooled students, the six-day camp will explore paleontology  and natural history in the field.
• 2016 German Oktoberfest Fri., Sept. 30, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Municipal Park. Opening ceremony starts at 11 a.m. Oktoberfest in Hays has been a long-standing tradition for the city and for the Volga German Society. Deadline to submit booth information is fast approaching. Contact Eleanor Schippers at (785) 735-2230.

This is a short list of some of the many events in Hays during September. For more information about these or upcoming activities, call the CVB at (785) 628-8202, check the website www.haysusa.net or visit the CVB Facebook page.