From fall festivals to a craft fair, here are eight Katy and Fulshear area events to add to your calendar this fall.

Cinco Ranch YMCA Craft Fair: The Katy area YMCA’s first annual craft fair invites the public to shop handcrafted goods made by local artisans.

• Sept. 26, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

• Free (admission)

• 22807 Westheimer Parkway, Katy

National Night Out: The Katy Police Department invites the community to meet local officers and connect with neighbors at Katy City Park.

• Oct. 6, 5-8 p.m.

• Free (admission)

• 5850 Franz Road, Katy

Fulshear Scarecrow Festival: The Fulshear Regional Chamber FOR Commerce’s event features a costume contest, scarecrow contest and a pumpkin patch at Fulshear High School.

• Oct. 24, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

• Free (admission)

• 9302 Charger Way, Fulshear

The Brookshire Chamber of Commerce celebrated the first anniversary of its relaunch, officials announced in a Sept. 15 news release.

The details: The organization, which rose from the challenges of the previous West I-10 Chamber of Commerce, was created by four founding members—Sue Lyle of Brookshire Methodist Church, Paul McConnell with Key Insurance, Vic Morrisback of Morrisback Construction and local entrepreneur Tony McAnelly—and has grown to 25 organizations, per the release.

The chamber has focused its first year on education and small business support as well as reconnecting with the Small Business Development Center at Prairie View A&M University, per the release.

Additionally, the chamber continues to support local businesses with ribbon-cutting ceremonies for new openings.

Looking ahead: Chamber officials are looking to double the organization's membership by the end of the year, per the release.

The chamber will host a mixer Oct. 13 from 4:30-6 p.m. at Brookshire Hyundai for current members, their invitees and any businesses or organizations interested in joining the chamber.

The Harris County Commissioners Court approved a $3.095 billion budget, and one of the highest property tax rates in the county’s history with a 3-2 vote during its Sept. 17 meeting.

What you need to know: Taxpayers will see a 7.6% property tax rate increase in comparison with last year after the court approved a rate of $0.67 per $100 of home value. The court also adopted the 2026-27 budget amid a projected shortfall of about $181 million.

The property tax rate will cost the average homeowner $193 per year, Harris County Office of Management and Budget Director Daniel Ramos previously said.

The details: Some of the major drivers of cost were healthcare, pay equity and the justice system. Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones said the county’s cost to provide healthcare increased $89 million this year compared with last.

The court also approved pay raises for law enforcement and some elected officials in August, with the constables, district attorney, county attorney, district clerk and tax assessor-collector set to make $305,000 annually.

The budget includes $15 million in additional funding for indigent defense, with the goal of the county’s Public Defender’s Office to represent 50% of eligible cases, according to a press release.

According to the August monthly housing update from the Houston Association of Realtors, the number of single-family home sales has decreased by 11.5% across the Greater Houston region.

The breakdown: With the decrease in single-family home sales, affordability rates for home owners saw year over year growth for 22 of the last 25 months, HAR data shows. The nationwide growth rate stood at 15 out of the last 25 months.

When compared to single-family home sales in 2019, the 2026 market has seen a 20.1% decrease overall.

In their words: “Buyers have more options and more time to make decisions, while sellers continue to benefit from relatively stable prices," HAR Chair Theresa Hill with Compass RE Texas, LLC - Houston said. "That's a healthier environment for consumers and a positive sign for the long-term strength of our market.”

To cast votes for a U.S. senator, governor, state attorney general and dozens of other races during the Nov. 3 midterm election, Texans must ensure they are registered to vote or have submitted an application by Oct. 5.

How it works: To be eligible to register to vote, an individual must:

• Be a U.S. citizen

• Reside in the county they apply to vote in

• Be at least 18 years old by Election Day

• Not have been declared mentally incapacitated without the right to vote by a court

Getting registered: Eligible Texans must submit a paper voter registration application by Oct. 5. The online form must be printed, signed and mailed to the applicant's local elections office.

One more thing: Voters who are already registered have through Oct. 5 to update their name or address, if needed.

Some voters may appear on the state "suspense" list if local officials cannot confirm their address, although they will still be able to vote in the election.

More information: Learn more about federal, state and local races at communityimpact.com/election.