It may be September, but Octoberfest is quickly approaching.

The two-week long German festival in Munich has been replicated in America for quite some time, celebrating not only the start of the prettiest season, but also serving as a commemoration of the year’s end with good spirits and good times.

If you’re like me and saw Sept. 1 as an opportunity to break out your fall playlist and start making snickerdoodles, you may want to be in southern Butler County this weekend. Cozy fall feelings are forecast to roll in with Sprankle’s Octoberfest and the Saxonburg Artisan Market.

Since they both take place over multiple days, there is no way boredom will reign this weekend! Hopefully you rested over Labor Day and are ready to get back out there and support your community.

The way I see it, showing up to large events like this is a form of service in itself. It takes time and attention to truly enjoy these community events to the fullest. It takes even more to get there sometimes: Packing the whole family and the strollers in the car, carving time out to be there, and keeping track of everyone during that span of time can be taxing.

The nature of these two events (and several others listed here) should appeal to a wide range of area residents!

It will be wonderful to see Butlerites gathering together to ring in this season by supporting artists, musicians, food and drink connoisseurs, and farmers. If you want to be among them this weekend, check out these events.

Sprankle’s Octoberfest is back for its sixth year, starting at 4 p.m. with hours also on Saturday and Sunday at the Lernerville Speedway, 313 N. Pike Road, Buffalo Township. There will be 125 vendors, contests, a full carnival and more! Purchase one-day or weekend passes at spranklesoctoberfest.com and check out the full schedule.

Hobnob Theatre Company’s First Fridays Improv Night is scheduled for 7 p.m. at 134 S. Main St., Butler. Space is limited, but the laughs are abundant. Visit hobnobtheatre.com/events to purchase your $5 ticket or find more information.

Bring your dogs to the Cranberry Township Community Waterpark on North Boundary Park Road for the Puppy Plunge! One plunge starts at 9 a.m. and another at 11 a.m. Bring a current rabies vaccination, and enroll on the township’s website.

The Twilight 5K & 1-Mile Fun Run will be held Saturday with all proceeds benefiting All Saints Parish and the Sarah Kasunic/Emily Leyland Scholarship at Butler Catholic School, which was established in the name of two BCS graduates who were lost to an accident and an illness, respectively. The 1-Mile Fun Run kicks off at 9 a.m. and Twilight 5K Run begins at 9:30 a.m.

Things will get muddy at Cooper's Lake Campground, 205 Currie Road, Slippery Rock, on Saturday morning for the Tough Mudder. Races begin as early as 8 a.m. and continue through the afternoon. Visit toughmudder.com/events/pittsburgh for more information.

The Saxonburg Artisan Market is a two-day event starting at 10 a.m. Saturday and continuing at 11 a.m. Sunday on the borough’s Main Street. There will be live music, carriage rides, a fine art show, artist vendors and so much more. For more information, see the event’s Facebook page.

Take a Fall Fungal Foray at Todd Nature Reserve, 367 Kepple Road, Buffalo Township, from 10 a.m. to noon. Explore the reserve and learn about the complexities of mushrooms. Registration is required. Tickets cost $6 per Audubon members and $10 per nonmembers at aswp.org/events.

The final Taste of the Symphony summer concert kicks off at noon in Diamond Park, 108 S. Main St., Butler. Cassandra Eisenreich and Jorge Osorio will be performing. Admission to the concert is free, and there will be vendors set up at the park. For more information, visit the symphony’s website.

Celebrate Grandparents Day at Slippery Rock Community Library, 465 N. Main St., with crafts, games and more from 1 to 2 p.m. For more information, visit the event Facebook page.

Herman Volunteer Fire Company observes its 75th anniversary with a communitywide celebration in Summit Township beginning at 3 p.m. at its 789 Herman Road location. It will feature activities for children — a high-flying bungee, an animal park and an obstacle course — presentations on drug awareness, a wood carver demonstration, search-and-rescue dog demonstrations and more. The entertainment lineup includes a Hawaiian show at 4 p.m., a magic show at 6 p.m. and live music by The Jentz at 6:30 p.m. The event will conclude with fireworks at dusk.

The debut performance of the Butler County Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Music Series is set for 3 p.m. at First English Lutheran Church in Butler, 241 N. Main St. There will be another performance at 3 p.m. Sunday at Hope Lutheran Church in Cranberry Township. The concerts will feature “Brass Quintet No. 1” by Victor Ewald and “Clarinet Quintet in A-Major” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Visit butlersymphony.org for further details. Performances are free to attend.

Alameda Waterpark, 184 Alameda Park Road in Butler Township, is opening for Poolside Pups from noon to 3 p.m., and for a great cause! Half of the $10 admission will be donated to Butler County Humane Society. Register online at bcpr.recdesk.com if you don’t want to have to bring your vaccination records to park.

Step back in time when you visit the historic Foltz School. The one-room schoolhouse just off Route 8 near Jennings Environmental Education Center, 2951 Prospect Road, Brady Township, will be open for touring from noon to 5 p.m. Tours are free. For more information, visit Jennings’ page at dcnr.pa.gov.

Attend the East Butler Sports Complex Car Show, which starts at 1 p.m. Sunday at the East Butler Baseball fields, 199 10th St. There will be sweet rides to check out, food and music. Visit the event Facebook page for more information.

If you want to submit an event for Miller Minutes, email the information to news@butlereagle.com.

Molly Miller is an Eagle correspondent.