It's cooling off around here, which is welcome. But there's no surer sign of fall than the small-town festival season.

It starts today in Wapato and Prosser, with carnival rides set up in Wapato's Lions Park for the Harvest Festival and in Prosser's City Park for State's Day.

Both events last the entire Labor Day weekend and feature Monday morning parades. The Harvest Festival parade begins at 9 a.m. at Wapato High School and heads down South Wapato Avenue. The States Day parade starts at 10 a.m. and goes right through downtown Prosser.

For more information on those, visit www.wapatochamberofcommerce.com and www.prosserchamber.org.

Meanwhile, over at Granger's Hisey Park, the spiciest, tastiest, cow-intestine-iest festival of the year takes place Sunday. The Granger Menudo Festival, during which cooks from up and down the Yakima Valley vie for the highly coveted best-menudo title, has plenty to eat and drink in addition to the famous tripe soup. There are vendors, live music, volleyball and a car show.

Things get under way at 11 a.m. As always, it's sponsored by the Granger Chamber of Commerce. For more information, call 509-854-7304 or e-mail grangerchamber@gmail.com.

-- Pat Muir