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While it is still hot, humid, and techni-cally summertime, the carefree days for kids and families to go on trips, spend time catching up on projects at home, and fin-ishing those summer read-ing packets are behind us.

The return to school is here around the area, but that’s not the buzz every-one is talking about. For once, the “rat race” of the school year is not the focus of August. Natchez has a full slate in this usually quiet month.Tourism has not missed a beat over the summer months.

Usually, the heat brings a dip in foot traffic downtown, restau-rants sit a little more emp-ty, and hotels get a chance to take a deep breath after a busy spring. However, hotels and bed & breakfasts alike are sell-ing out on the weekends. Restaurants can’t fit an-other table into the mix. Stores are having a hard time keeping products in house.

Earlier in the month, when leaving dinner at Pearl Street Pasta, the front dining room was packed with people wait-ing for a table, and guests were lined up on the front sidewalk hoping to get on the list. In July, we drove under the hill and found cars parked almost at the top of Silver Street, and people lining the river-front waiting to get in The Camp or Magnolia Grill.

Staffing may still be an issue, but people don’t seem to mind. They are happy to wait, and the service is just as good.It also helps that we have two movie produc-tions underway right now. Crooked Letter Picture Company is busy with Rumble Through the Dark. Hallmark and Ev-ergreen Films are moving into town this month and decking our halls a little early.

Hallmark, people. I think we all know that Natchez is the perfect set-ting for those Christmas movies we all love to sit and binge watch through-out the holiday season. I personally can’t wait to celebrate Christmas for four solid months. What’s jollier than our tree in the middle of Main Street?

When was the last time you can remember that Balloon Race weekend wasn’t the focus of the up-coming fall months? Not to say it isn’t, but so much is happening between now and then. October is usu-ally our busiest month of the year, not the summer ones. It seems we have ar-rived.

Finally. People have heard about our little town along the river and are coming to visit. They are telling their friends and their friends’ friends. Maybe Mayor Dan was right in saying “it’s hap-pening” because it sure feels like it is.