Cerca Calendar

As blazing summer mellows into fall, festivals and fun prevail in Cerca Country. See which event appeals to you.

Monday through Sept. 7, Black Rock City: Burning Man. This annual event is partly an art festival and partly an experiment in temporary community, all dedicated to radical self-expression and self-reliance. This year's theme will be "Evolution." www.burningman.com.

Thursday through Sept. 7, Parowan, Utah: Iron County Fair, also called Utah's "Biggest Little Fair." Events include 5K fun run, Miss Iron County Pageant, eating contests, Tour de Gap Bike Race, carnival and parade. (435) 477-8380, www.ironcountyfair.net.

Friday and Saturday, Brian Head to St. George, Utah: Red Rock Relay. Teams of 12 runners start Friday and continue into Saturday, running a 177-mile relay race that starts in Brian Head, travels through Zion National Park and ends in St. George. (800) 354-4849, www.redrockrelay.com.

Friday through Sept. 6: Big Bear, Calif.: Holcomb Rendezvous with the Big Horn Mountain Men. A living history encampment that takes you back to the fur trade era. Watch demonstrations by people dressed in period costumes and use primitive skills such as tomahawk and knife throwing, target shooting and fire starting. Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch. (951) 785-0727, www.bighornmountainmen.com.

Friday through Sept. 7, Pioche: Labor Day Celebration. The town's largest event features mining events, 10K Fun Run, fishing derby, chili cook-off and electric light parade and children's events. (775) 962-5544, www.piochenevada.com/

Saturday, Zion National Park, Utah: Saturday Bird Watching. Participants in this workshop will travel through a range of habitats trying to find as many birds as possible. Day and evening with a dinner break on your own. Zion Canyon Field Institute. Reservations needed. (800) 635-3959, www.zionpark.org.

Saturday and Sept. 19, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah: Star party at Point Supreme. View stars through the telescopes provided, or bring your own. (435) 586-0787, www. scenicsouthernutah.com.

Saturday, Zion National Park, Utah: Zion Narrows Service Project. Join a naturalist to explore the world famous Zion Narrows. This seven-mile hike will include discussions of the area's geology, plants and wildlife and a short service project in the canyon. Reservations needed. Zion Canyon Field Institute. (800) 635-3959, www.zionpark.org.

Sept. 6, Flagstaff, Ariz.: Labor Day Star Fest at Lowell Observatory will feature indoor programs and numerous telescopes set up for viewing around the campus. (928) 233-3235, www.lowell.edu.

Sept. 7, Flagstaff, Ariz.: School's Out and Kids are Free event at Lowell Observatory. Kids' activities all day including science demonstrations, telescope viewing, Space Theatre programs and multimedia presentations. (928) 233-3235, www.lowell.edu.

Sept. 11-13, Virginia City: 50th Annual Virginia City Camel Races. Three-day event also includes ostrich and emu races, specialty acts and a daily parade. (775) 847-7008, www.visitvirginiacitynv.com.

Sept. 11-13, Reno: Great Reno Balloon Race. Watch some of the nation's top balloonists compete in events such as the hare and the hound, target-drop and key-grab. Rancho San Rafael Park. (775) 826-1181, www.renoballoon.com.

Sept. 13, Lake Tahoe: Tour de Tahoe Bike Big Blue. This 72-mile race travels around Lake Tahoe in both Nevada and California, starting and ending at Lake Tahoe Horizon Casino Resort. (800) 565-2704, www.bikethewest.com.

Sept. 16, Ivins, Utah: Rocker Peter Frampton kicks off Tuacahn Amphitheatre fall concert series. (800) 746-9882, tuacahn.org.

Sept. 18-20, Big Bear Lake, Calif.: Big Bear Lake International Film Festival showcases the emerging talent of screenwriters and independent filmmakers. (909) 866-3433, www. bigbearfilmfestival.com.

Sept. 18-20, Cedar City, Utah: Cedar City Skyfest. Hot-air balloons, kites, radio-controlled planes, vendors and food. Balloon launch at 7 a.m. with activities throughout the day. Bicentennial Park. (435) 867-5890, www.cedarcityskyfest.com.

Sept. 18-Oct. 17, Cedar City, Utah: Utah Shakespearean Festival Fall Season will feature "Tuesdays with Morrie", "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)" and "The Woman in Black." Tuesdays through Saturdays. (800) 752-9849, www.bard.org.

Sept. 19, Parowan, Utah: Fall equinox observation at the Parowan Gap Petroglyphs National Historic Site includes a presentation of the ancient Native American solar calendar. (435) 477-3734, www.scenicsouthernutah.com.

Sept. 19 through October 31, Big Bear Lake, Calif.: Big Bear Lake Octoberfest. Seven straight weekends of log sawing, stein holding, safe slam beer drinking, clogging contests and lots of beer. Live entertainment from Germany. An outdoor Budenstrasse will include children's game booths, petting zoo and exhibitors. Saturdays and Sundays at the Convention Center. (909) 585-3000, www.bigbearevents.com.

Sept. 23-27, Lake Tahoe: Lake Tahoe Marathon. Multiple events including 20-mile power walk, the Tahoe triple (three marathons in three consecutive days); a 72-mile ultra run; triathlon, half marathon, marathon and 10K and 5K runs. (530) 544-7095, www. laketahoemarathon.com.

Sept. 24-25, Zion National Park, Utah: Autumn photography workshop. Learn light, composition and other technical aspects of photography. There will be a half-day indoor session with the rest of the time out in the field. Both digital and film photography will be discussed. Reservations needed. (800) 635-3959, www.zionpark.org.

Sept. 25-26, Escalante, Utah: Escalante Canyons Working Art Festival and Everett Ruess Days. This festival features working artists, demonstrations, silent auction, speakers, vendors and food. An Everett Ruess Chautauqua will take place on Friday. (435) 826-4796, www.everettruessdays.com.

Sept. 26-27, Genoa: Candy Dance Arts and Crafts Faire. In its 89th year, fair boasts more than 350 juried arts and crafts booths, activity booths and more than 4,000 pounds of the Genoa's famous homemade candy. (775) 782-8696, www.visitrenotahoe.com.

Sept. 27, Flagstaff, Ariz.: Festival of Science Open House. Join Lowell Observatory and Coconino Astronomical Society for an evening of star-gazing through a number of telescopes including Percival Lowell's classic 1896 original. (928) 233-3235, www.lowell.edu.