Fall festival season kicks off in Shreveport-Bossier starting in September with four festivals that celebrate everything from arts and crafts to zombies, beer and film. Here are some highlights of the season: The 4th Annual North Louisiana Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is set for Sept. 7-13 at the Robinson Film Center. The event will feature seven days of critically acclaimed movies, short films and documentaries and panel discussions. This year’s celebrity guest is renowned actress/comedian Margaret Cho, who will perform live on Sept. 8 at the Municipal Auditorium.

The season rolls out with the 36th Annual Red River Revel Arts Festival, Oct. 6-13, in downtown Shreveport’s Festival Plaza. The eight-day event, known as the region’s largest arts festival, celebrates the arts with visual artists from across the country, four performance stages that feature live music and a large area dedicated specifically to providing arts education for children.

Shreveport’s premier beer tasting event, BREW returns Oct. 20 in Festival Plaza. Now in its fourth year, the daylong event is becoming a fall tradition offering beer lovers a chance to sample and savor everything from All-American favorites to local one-of-a-kind microbrews while enjoying live entertainment and mouthwatering fare provided by some of the area’s most well-known restaurants.

“Zombies” clad in full regalia will gather from everywhere for the 5th Shreveport Annual Zombie Walk, held on Oct. 27 in downtown Shreveport. The free, annual event is said to be the largest annual zombie walk in the southern United States and the only one in the state that happens on the World Zombie Day. The Zombie Walk also serves as a fundraiser for the Northwest Louisiana Food Bank. 

Hand-crafted jewelry, artwork, live entertainment, diverse cuisine and more will abound at the Fall 2012 Texas Avenue Makers Fair, Nov. 10 at the corner of Texas Avenue and Common Street. However, as their slogan suggests, “This Ain’t Your Momma’s Crafts Fair,” but instead it brings together an eclectic group of some of the community’s most interesting and crafty people offering fascinating finds.