Who didn't get the memo? The Thundering Herd is out of town, fall is on the way and it's time to get this festival party started. Here's a look at just a few of the area festivals this weekend:

Mothman Festival: The seventh annual Mothman Festival runs Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 20-21, includes music from the band Mothman, tours of the Mothman Museum and Research Center located on Main Street, screenings of Mothman movies and documentaries, vendors, craftspeople and an authors forum. Mothman hayride tours will be available starting at 8 p.m. Saturday at the TNT area of Mason County (West Virginia State Farm Museum) where the first reported sighting of the Mothman was documented. For more information, call Jeff Wamsley 304-675-0273 or go online at www.mothmanlives.com or www.mothmanfestival.com.

Poppy Mountain Bluegrass Festival: About five miles east of Morehead, Ky., the 16th Annual Poppy Mountain Bluegrass Festival started Tuesday and runs through Saturday with dozens of acts including Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, Melvin Goins, Marty Raybon, James King, Gerald Evans, Hillbilly Gypsies and many others. Tickets are $30 for Thursday, Sept. 18, $40 for Friday, Sept. 19 and $50 for Saturday, Sept. 20. Go online at www.poppymountainbluegrass.com.

Barboursville Fall Fest: Runs through Saturday, Sept. 20, with the theme of "Barboursville Goes Caribbean." Thursday will feature a parade at 6:30 p.m., a street dance from 8:30 to 10 p.m. and a carnival from 5 to 10 p.m. The schedule swings into high gear Friday with more carnival, crafters and food concessions and live music from The Legends at 8 p.m. and Buffetman at 9:30 p.m. Saturday's activities begin with a car show from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Main Street at the library. Joey Dee and The Starliters Rock and Roll are featured at 9:30 p.m. For more information go online to www.barboursville.org or call Barboursville City Hall at 304-736-8994 or 304-736-9820.

Gauley Fest: One of the world's largest river festivals takes place Friday through Sunday, Sept. 19-21, at the Nicholas County Veterans Memorial Park in Summersville, W.Va., with streams of funky, live music, whitewater vendors armed with the latest gear and much more. Started in 1983, the Gauley Fest is a critical fundraiser for American Whitewater and is the group's largest fundraising event. Go online at www.americanwhitewater.org.

Poage Landing Days: Ashland pays homage to its roots -- the Poage family that first settled Ashland -- with a super street festival called Poage Landing Days that runs Sept. 19-21.

The free festival features a fiddle fest (which gives a nod to the late, great fiddler Ed Haley), the Kentucky Fried Cone Fest, a slalom skateboarding race, as well a car and bike show, kid's events and of course, what Ashland does best, lots of live music. Enjoy a bevy of regional acts as well as national acts such as American Idol finalist Phil Stacey (Friday), and on Saturday, Darryl Worley, Carolina Rain and Emily West. Go online at www.poagelandingdays.com.

Rock on the River: The sixth annual Rock on the River makes waves at the Center Street Landing with seven bands including heavy local favorites X Factor 1 and Let The Guilty Hang, bands that have played X-Fest, along with Stereovenom, Waiting The Fall, Down in Round 3, 20 Ton Angel, Faded and Stone Immortal. Tickets are $5 advance and $7 day of the show. Call 740-646-4081 or visit the Rock on the Rally Web site at myspace.com/rotr08.

Jesse Stuart Weekend: The life and literary work of Kentucky Poet Laureate Jesse Stuart will be center stage at Greenbo Lake State Resort Park Sept. 19-21. Enjoys hikes at the nearby Jesse Stuart Nature Preserve, movies, discussions, a one-man drama and a new musical at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 3 p.m. Sunday at the park's amphitheater. For more information, call 606-473-7324 or 800-325-0083.