A MONSTER TRUCK AT THE SCOTTDALE FALL FESTIVAL | PHOTO BY SEAN COLLIER

I was deeply mistaken about one of the marquee events at the annual Scottdale Fall Festival.

On the schedule for this past weekend’s event were a pair of attractions with an alluring name: “Bigfoot Photo Opportunities,” followed some time later by “Bigfoot Car Crush.” I was visiting the charming town for a forthcoming piece in the print magazine and made a note to be near the town square at the time of Bigfoot’s promised appearance. I assumed that I’d get a selfie with a costumed cryptid, who would later find a dramatic way to beat up a car.

When I arrived, I remembered that Bigfoot can be several things. I assumed the schedule was referring to the tall, hairy hominid. It actually was referring to a monster truck.

It was a change for the better. A monster truck is way better at crushing cars, as it turns out.

There are plenty of automotive wonders at the Scottdale Fall Festival; another signature event is a massive car show, during which restored classic vehicles dating back decades fill the town. This is much more than an event for car lovers, however; the weekend is full of live music, family attractions, innumerable stands offering indulgent county fair-style food, offerings from local businesses and much more.

So pleasant is the event that there are even signs of an actual mythical creature: political civility. Among the booths were representatives from both the local Republican and Democratic parties. Neither seemed to be all that bothered by the other.

While I was at the event — usually held in mid-September — numerous people told me to return this coming weekend for the Glass & Ethnic Festival in neighboring Mt. Pleasant. Ten minutes away, another weekend full of events and community will follow this one, with particular nods to Mt. Pleasant’s glassmaking heritage.

My attendance here was incidental; this was just the weekend that worked best for me. Unintentionally, then, I discovered something about these regional festivals: They’re the ideal opportunity for a particular sort of local tourism.

For the most part, attendees at the Scottdale Fall Festival and (I assume) the Glass & Ethnic Festival in Mt. Pleasant are locals. But, as an outsider, I saw every local business in one fell swoop, and got a good sense of the community and its history in the process. If you spent a summer dropping by similar events throughout the region — I can confidently promise you’ll find a festival like these ones somewhere in Western Pennsylvania during every warm weekend — you’d get to know towns and neighborhoods you’ve only ever driven through (or past) in no time at all.

Businesses and community organizations also rely on weekends like these to earn a significant chunk of their annual revenue; unfortunately, every day of continued operation for a small business in an out-of-the-way town is a battle. That knick-knack or candle you buy at a fair in the next town is a valuable purchase.

The season may be waning, but make plans to attend a handful of these events — near to home and far afield — next year. Fair warning, though: You may develop a serious lemonade habit.