The fourth Annual Warrenton Fall Festival is Saturday, Sept. 22, on Main Street in Warrenton.The Warrenton Fall Festival, the city’s largest annual event, offers live music, a car and motorcycle show with numerous competition categories, children’s activities, merchandise vendors and a variety of food.The event has a history of drawing big crowds.“We have had crowd estimates of 4,000 to 6,000 people,” said Deloris Rose, marketing coordinator for the city of Warrenton.She added that attendance could be that high again this year, and that would be a good thing. The free event attracts people from all over, giving them a chance to see what the city has to offer.Activities begin at noon.The highlight of this year’s show is the musical entertainment. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will perform on the main stage in front of city hall from 7:30-9 p.m. The band was founded in 1966. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, or variations of the band, went on to have several genre-crossing hits in the 1970s and 1980s, like “An American Dream,” “Baby’s Got a Hold on Me,” “Battle of New Orleans,” ”Fishin’ in the Dark,” “Make a Little Magic” and “Mr. Bojangles.”The band’s website says Jeff Hanna, Jimmie Fadden and Bob Carpenter, three of the earliest members of the band, continue to tour.Local band Butchwax and the Hollywoods will perform from 1-4 p.m. at Main and Thurman streets. The eight-piece band has been performing in the St. Louis area and beyond for more than 30 years, playing hit songs from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.During the day, the Kids Corner, which will have inflatable attractions, will be open from noon to 6:30 p.m. The car and motorcycle show is from noon to 4 p.m. Spectators are welcome at the show and so is anyone who wants to enter a car or motorcycle.Specialty Auto Body, the event sponsor, will do the judging. Awards will go to the top three winners in each of these categories: Original Vintage Pre-1950, 1950-1966, 1967-1979, 1980-2000, 2001-present, pickup 2x2, pickup 4x4, street rod up to 1948, custom 1949 to present, rat rod and motorcycle.Registration is free and starts at 9 a.m. The show opens at noon and the judging starts at 1 p.m. The awards presentation is at 4 p.m. Contestants may register early by emailing baustin@warrenton-mo.org or calling 636-456-3535.Warrenton Director of Operations Brandie Walters said, like last year, the city is providing free shuttle service throughout the event. Shuttle parking will be at Rebecca Boone Elementary, 836 South St. The shuttle will run from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., or once the parking lot is cleared, Walters said.For most of the day Main Street will be closed from Troy Road to Morgan Street and no parking will be allowed on Oak Street from Troy Road to Morgan Street.Guests should not bring glass into the event and only authorized vehicles of any kind will be allowed in the event area.The event is organized by the Warrenton Tourism Commission and the city of Warrenton. Tourism Tax revenues pay for the event. Vendor spots are still available. For more information call city hall at 636-456-3535.

Crowds travel between vendor booths during the 2017 Fall Festival in Warrenton.

Record file photo