Jim Thorpe’s annual Fall Foliage Festival, sponsored by the Jim Thorpe Tourism Agency will begin this weekend and continue for the next two weekends, Oct. 13-14, and 20-21.

The events include concerts on four stages around the historic district — a new location this year is the beautiful Race Street Park, enjoying live entertainment from coal cracker and rock ’n’ roll to belly dancing, more than 30 artisans and crafters, a variety of food trucks and lots of family fun.

While perusing the shops, be sure to check out some scary or not-so-scary scarecrows displayed throughout the historic district as part of the tourism agency’s scarecrow contest. Vote online for your favorite straw figure to win and you could win a Jim Thorpe gift package.

Train rides on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway are always a favorite of festival goers, with special autumn leaf excursions from Reading this year. Smarter Travel named the Reading Northern Blue Mountain and Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway last year among the top five fall foliage train rides in the U.S. The 45-minute scenic tours through the Lehigh Gorge will operate daily all month long.

Once the sun goes down, dinner at one of Jim Thorpe’s restaurants and pubs will get you ready for a concert at the Mauch Chunk Opera House. Jim Thorpe’s gem of a venue has a great lineup including The Weeklings tribute to The Beatles, the Grand Slambovians, and Glimmer Twins tribute to the Rolling Stones.

Ghost stories always seem a little spookier in October, and there’s no better place for them than Jim Thorpe. The Victorian architecture can take on a decidedly spookier turn after dark when you learn about the spectral spirits that inhabit the town on an Old Mauch Chunk Ghost Walk sponsored by the Jim Thorpe Rotary Club. Tickets: Adults, $12. Children: 7-12, $6. For reservations and more information, call 484-629-3698.

Please note: parking in the county lot by the train station, 1 Susquehanna St., fills quickly, however, additional parking with a shuttle service can be found at Mauch Chunk Lake Park, 625 Lentz Trail. Parking $15/vehicle; $20/VIP reserved parking (both with free shuttle). For more information, or to purchase VIP parking, visit www.jimthorpe.org/shuttle.