Local fairs open, community festivals planned

Communities in Wales, Colorado, New Mexico and Australia are preparing or celebrating family-friendly events featuring music, activities and local participation. Pembroke’s three-day Michaelmas Fair opened with a procession and Samba Doc drummers, continuing a tradition rooted in the town’s medieval hiring fairs. In Colorado Springs, police and SCHEELS will host Balltoberfest to collect sports balls for the PlayCOS youth outreach program, which CSPD says has supported thousands of positive interactions between officers and young people. A weekend lineup in New Mexico includes the Balloon Fiesta’s final events and other fall attractions, while Broadmeadows’ festival will showcase local performers, food vendors and children’s activities as the final event in Project Broadmeadows.