Mid-August events already?! Where has the summer gone? Ward off the ever-impending autumn with some summertime favorites. There a little bit of everything is this weekend’s quirky set of events; from the fair to an art festival to chocolate making to some unique concerts, summer fun definitely sticks around for another weekend.

Erie County Fair – Beginning on Tuesday and continuing through Sunday night, the Erie County Fair presents an action-packed schedule from beginning to end, including animals, singers, a rodeo, the demolition derby, rides, games and food so greasy (and tasty) that your arteries will clog just looking at it. Also, Funcoast will be on hand all week, so be on the lookout for the Spotted camera.

Ethnic Heritage Days – With a wide array of ethnic histories peppering its population, Marblehead will celebrate the diversity within its community by donning costumes and hosting a number of unique activities, including Polkas in the Park.

Toast of Ohio Wine Festival – Enjoy the best that Ohio has to offer in terms of wine and gourmet cuisine at the Sandusky Bay Pavilion. With musical entertainment, a cruise on the Bay and Underground Railroad trolley tours, it’s a potpourri of things to do.

44th Annual Huron Rotary Art Festival – Local artists from around the area will display their works at the scenic Boat Basin and Amphitheater. It’s completely family friendly, and everyone can enjoy seeing these masterful works.

Barbershop Quartet Concerts – With over 20 groups scheduled to perform, this event at Perry’s Monument is a great way to spend a summer evening. With their tight harmonies and smooth song stylings, barbershop quartets have been an American institution for the better part of a century, so don’t miss your opportunity to hear the best of the best.

“Rumors” – A wildly fantastic farce, “Rumors” tells the story of a couple’s unexpectedly exciting evening at a dinner party gone completely amuck. If you’ve not had the opportunity to see this play, I would strongly advise you to do so; Norwalk puts on a lovely evening of theatre, and you won’t regret going.

“Honk!” – Based on the story of the Ugly Duckling, “Honk!” is a strange but clever retelling targeted at children but nonetheless interesting for their adult counterparts as well. The Bellevue Society for the Arts performs the musical beautifully, and it’s a show that your children will appreciate seeing.

Hike the Dikes: Sensational Shorebirds – On a walk that should last about an hour and a half, participants of Hike the Dikes will trek into parts of Magee Marsh unknown to the public. Discover all types of area shorebirds, bearing in mind that if you attend three Hike the Dike events, you earn a hickory walking stick, which is pretty much awesome.

Making School Mascot Chocolates – In this class for children, young aspiring chefs will make chocolates in the shape of their school’s mascot and then package them in trimmings to match their school colors.  It’s fun, low-cost, and involves large quantities of high-quality chocolate. I can’t imagine what sounds unappealing about that.

Introduction to Canoe Paddling – A class for those whose canoeing skills could stand to use improvement, this lesson will walk students through the basics of paddling. Become more solid in your skills while enjoying the nature at Coupling Reserve.

Annual Duck Dash 500 – A Vermilion tradition, this race doesn’t actually involve live ducks; rather, a group of fake ducks is dumped into the Vermilion River, and the first sponsored duck to cross the finish line wins. The prizes are substantial: $1000 for first place, which is a tidy sum considering that winning is based solely on luck and required no skill whatsoever.