Above: International Fall Fest of yore.

It won’t technically be held in fall, and it won’t be international, but Downtown Eau Claire Inc. still will be holding a festival this September – albeit a scaled-back one. This year’s event has been dubbed Celebrate Eau Claire, and it will be from 1-5pm Saturday, Sept. 21. It replaces the more robust International Fall Festival, which will be mothballed this year – to return in 2014. According to DECI, Celebrate Eau Claire will be similar to the International Fall Festival, “but with a more local look and feel.” While the Fall Festival typically featured numerous food and merchandise vendors from around the area lining South Barstow Street, this year’s event will be limited to either DECI members or downtown businesses. Why the change? Earlier this year, DECI had hedged on holding the Fall Festival because of South Barstow reconstruction. (The construction also led to the truncation of this year’s Summer Fest, which was limited to a “family fun night” at Phoenix Park instead of the normal full-blown street festival.) While that construction finished ahead of schedule, the uncertainty delayed planning for the Fall Festival, so DECI decided to keep it local. DECI members will be able to get festival booths free, while other Eau Claire businesses can join DECI (membership starts at $150) if they want to take part. The fest will take place on a closed-off four-block stretch of South Barstow, and will feature a parade, performers (although they’ll be on the street, not a stage), and the burying of a time capsule at the corner of East Grand Avenue and South Barstow. Don’t forget to mark your calendar so you can join the celebration. For more information, visit DowntownEauClaire.org.