Memorial Medical Center WhistleStop Marathon/Half Marathon

The Memorial Medical Center 20th Annual WhistleStop Marathon/Half Marathon gets under way Friday, Oct. 13, with the pasta feed and fish boil at the Bay Area Civic Center from 4:30 to 8 p.m., with music by singer/songwriter Nate Parent. The race is Saturday, Oct. 14, on the Tri- County Corridor, an abandoned rail bed, and the view is beautiful with vibrant fall colors. The post race party is 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the festival tent. Everyone is welcome for music, concessions and fun as you cheer on the racers at the finish line. Topping off the weekend is the 20th Annual Blues and Brews Festival Saturday night, 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., in a heated festival tent in front of the Bay Area Civic Center. Opening the evening is the blues band Milk Bone, and the headliner for the night will be Pop Rocks. Sample over 50 varieties of microbrews and area mead wines. You must be 21 to attend the Blues and Brews Festival. Call the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce for more information at 800-284-9484. Or check out www.whistlestopmarathon.com.