Either my memory is getting bad or perhaps the region is getting to be, or continuing to be, a destination for tourists late into September.

While growing up here in the region, I do remember fewer cars on the road and fewer people on the sidewalks once schools opened. These days – perhaps including a decade or so ago – the lines of cars at stop signs, stop lights and getting through the downtowns in Boothbay Harbor and Wiscasset seem to be getting longer every year.

Also, the parking spaces are rarer along the main streets, the restaurants are still busy, and Hannaford’s checkout lines are just that – lines to check out, rather than being able to slide into an empty slot and be greeted by a waiting cashier.

Some of the reasons for the busy month include the good (perhaps the best) weather, the tourists not wanting to come during the busiest months of July and August, and an increase in public events.

This past weekend saw the Oyster Festival being held at Mine Oyster in Boothbay Harbor for the first time and the third annual Boothbay Cornhole Classic at Boothbay Railway Village Museum. Both events drew dozens upon dozens of people. Oysters and bag-throwing competitions seem to be pretty popular these days.

When the foliage starts to really shine, we usually see a few less visitors – although the first couple of weeks in the 10th month feature Damariscotta Pumpkinfest and the annual Fall Foliage Festival in Boothbay, which will bring in some crowds.

November is usually a quiet month … until Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens opens its annual Gardens Aglow in the middle of the month. That is when the traffic will really pick up again, perhaps into the new year.

As a tourist destination, extending the seasons by holding events is a boon to the economy. But remember to stay alert on the roads. The traffic will pick up again!