Fall brings flurries, but not of snow. The flurries are of falling leaves and of activities. School is back in session, and all of the local organizations get back into gear with their first meetings and programs of the year. Other events — some of them once-a-year — also take place.

The Downers Grove Chamber of Commerce recently had its Black and White Ball with a couple of changes from last year. Ted Basta, one of the comedians from the Local Laughs DG-TV Show, took over some of the emcee duties. Mark and Pat Samel were the dics jockeys during the after-dinner dancing, and a new honor, the Enterprise Award, was given to David Fox, president of Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital. Marta Cullen was named Citizen of the Year, while for the first time, several of the other nominees also were acknowledged.

The Downers Grove Area Writers Workshop had its annual Public Reading event at the Downers Grove Public Library. The event opened with a reading by 91-year-old John Mahoney, who is a poet and short-story writer. Other participants included Ruth Stump, John Quinn, Charlane Poelsterl, Lee Williams, Carolyn Sibr, Marvin Young, Shirley Hiddleston, Bob Cermak and me. Selections included poetry, essays, a chapter of a novel and a song sung by Sharon West and members of the audience.

Since then, West, a composer and a graduate of Downers Grove South High School, also debuted a new song at the American Association of University Women fall potluck. The song, which I co-wrote, was sung by West, Medge Soline, Christine Myles and Carole Dobbie, among others.

Grove Players members also have music on their minds. Their first production of the season is the musical “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” This will be presented over three weekends in November.

Members of the Downers Grove Arts Council attended two back-to-back workshops on strategic planning, which included goal-setting. These were led by Jamie Henderson of Brighton Management Systems, who donated his time to the new nonprofit group. The Arts Council is led by Jim Stahulak, who sings with the Downers Grove Choral Society. They had arranged for free entertainment from various local nonprofit arts groups for the Fine Arts Festival, but the performances were rained out.

Beautiful Music contributed free music to the community by sponsoring a its first Garage Band Palooza. This featured local youth bands playing everything from rock to jazz. “The community has supported us for 22 years, and this is our way of saying thank you and of giving musicians a place to show their stuff,” store owner Jim Pool said.

Meanwhile, Ann and Jack Springer have been preparing to dress in period costume and talk about Lucy and Pierce Downer while Debbie Guptill plans to share information on Avis Blodgett as part of the Downers Grove Park District-sponsored Hike Through History, set for 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, in Lyman Woods. I get the distinct honor of playing a farm wife. Other people representing craftsmen from that era also will be present — as will, hopefully, beautiful fall weather.