Summer is here, and it is a season of celebration in Eastern Ohio and the Upper Ohio Valley area.

Already this year, a number of festivities have taken place in communities all across the region. From chili cook-offs to the Ogden Newspapers Wellness Weekend and, just this past week, the Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival, numerous events have already occurred.

Don’t worry that the summer fun is ending anytime soon, though.

Starting Wednesday, the Martins Ferry Volunteer Fire Department, with support from Unified Bank, takes over the City Park in Martins Ferry. It will host its annual Betty Zane Days Festival, which honors local Revolutionary War heroine Elizabeth “Betty” Zane, who famously fetched gunpowder from a cabin outside of Fort Henry at the site of modern-day Wheeling to supply the Americans who were defending the outpost from British and Native American forces.

Betty Zane Days begins with a 5K race and features live music nightly, along with food vendors, a cornhole tournament, a parade and much more, including entertainment for youngsters at the park. The festival continues through Saturday, Aug. 2.

As summer slips into fall and school gets underway, some of the biggest events we welcome annually will unfold, including the Belmont County Fair in early September and the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival at the end of that month. In Woodsfield, meanwhile, the Monroe County Fair will celebrate its 175th anniversary from Aug. 18-23.

In the meantime, there are plenty of other activities to keep local residents young and old busy and entertained. Those include Barkcamp State Park’s Junior Anglers Fishing Day on Aug. 2, farmers markets, evening concerts, car shows, karaoke contests and many more.

So, get out and enjoy all that summer has to offer right here in our own backyard.