The following information was disseminated by the Travel Berkeley Springs office:

Berkeley Springs in September is nothing short of glorious! Green mountains with tinge of color promising the best is yet to come. Clear skies. Warm days and cool nights. A reduce crush of people wandering the streets. You owe it to yourself to taste the waters in autumn. Regular visitors will also notice that the skyline is now decorated with a new clock tower framework perched on top of the under-construction courthouse.

The big event of the weekend is the 2nd annual Birding Festival. Activities begin with a free reception and program at the Ice House on Friday at 7pm. The program begins at 7:30pm noted naturalist Wil Hershberger speaking on "An Appreciation of Bird Song." At 8am on Saturday, Hershberger and local naturalist Joe Gentile lead a mountain top bird walk at the Eidolon Nature Preserve near Great Cacapon. 10am is birding workshop at Warm Springs Intermediate School for children and beginning birders of all ages. Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. author and raptor expert Liam McGranaghan speaks at the Country Inn about the annual hawk migration. Dessert and coffee are served with tickets available at the door. The festival wraps up Sunday with an 8am bird walk at Sleepy Creek Wildlife Refuge led by Hershberger. HQ for the weekend is at Nature Niche, a popular shop where you can find birding supplies and everything you need to know about the festival.

The art scene is decidedly innovative this weekend featuring Saturday night's performance of Rattle to Rifle, a revolutionary piece of art built around 19 original songs and the theme of peace. Scooter Scudieri's one-man show finds the hero on stilts surrounded by lights, sound and artwork that serves as set pieces. It is Saturday, 7:30 pm at the Ice House. Extend your excursion into peace by visiting the "bringing peace home" gallery show at the Ice House with original work to the theme by more than two dozen artists in a variety of media.

For equally revolutionary entertainment, see the much-raised film "District 9" at the Star Theatre on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8pm. The movie is rated R so leave the kids at home or check at Pocket Meadow Fiber Shop just down the block from the Star for an art experience they can enjoy while you go to the movies.

There are rumors of a down home weekend festival over the mountain in Paw Paw. Check at the visitors center when you arrive in town and see what details have been discovered. In the past there have been activities including tractor pull, music and a street fair. Even if there is no festival, the drive over the mountain and into the western end of the county is breathtaking and at the end is the Paw Paw Tunnel, largest man-made structure on the C&O Canal with a dry and safe towpath walkway through the nearly mile-long tunnel.

Local music is riding high these days and one of the best shows is on Thursday at Tari's Cafe when guitarist Jim Fredo hosts the weekly Jam Night starting at 8pm. Come to town even earlier and enjoy Open Mic on Wednesday at Earth Dog Cafe when Jonathan McBee hosts. And that's only the beginning of Earth Dog's music weekend. Thursday is Shane and the MoneyMakers; Friday, it's Telltale Signs and Saturday, Back Creek Valley Boys.

Sunday is a favorite day in Berkeley Springs. The Farmers Market fills the square from 10am to 2pm and is now overflowing with fall produce from peppers to apples. Sunday brunch can be enjoyed at Panorama at the Peak where the menu features food as fresh and local as the Farmers Market. Wining is a popular sport in Berkeley Springs for those who like their outdoors....outdoors. La Luna Wine Bar and Gallery welcomes visitors Friday,Saturday and Sunday evenings. New in town is Ambrae House with a wine bar and light fare. Wilkes Street Wine Shop is for those who want to enjoy their wine while watching the deer off the deck of their cabin while late night revelers seek out The Country Inn's tavern. Local restaurants, especially Lot 12 and Tari's Cafe have impressive and extensive wine lists as well as great food.

Watching birds is not the only outdoor fun this weekend. There is golf on the outstanding 18 hole course at Cacapon State Park as well as clay shooting there. Sleepy Creek Shooting Range is also open and Quail Hollow Hunts features a rare dove hunt. The weather is perfect for motorcyclists and there are seven mapped rides on the website ready for you to download.

Round out your weekend at the springs with visits to the spas, treasure hunting shopping and dining for every taste.

There is no excuse for not staying overnight in Berkeley Springs. Lodging places are abundant with locations, amenities and prices to meet every need. There are intown historic inns and B&Bs and houses and suites that make it easy to leave your car and stroll historic streets everywhere. For more outdoor tastes select from a range of lodge rooms, cabins and vacation homes with decks, outdoor tubs and plenty of both quite and wildlife. Starting this fall, make Berkeley Springs your favorite getaway -- it's closer than anywhere are ready to show you a great time.