We have entered the season of the festival, bringing a bundle of arts and culture to our region.

The Astoria Musical Festival opens today and runs through July 1, packing the town with musicians and concertgoers. It has become one of summer’s delights, as its events occupy the historical Liberty Theatre, the Performing Arts Center and the acoustically resonant Grace Episcopal Church.

The Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest last weekend will be followed by the Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival and the Cannon Beach Comedy Festival this weekend. The Water Music Festival on the Long Beach Peninsula appears in three installments, beginning in July and ending in December. And August features the Astoria Regatta and Washington State International Kite Festival.

Some of these events — such as the Hood to Coast Run that finishes on Seaside’s beach just before Labor Day — test the carrying capacity of our communities. But many others are a comfortable boost for our shops, restaurants and museums.

For many visitors, these festivals define our region. Of course, that’s not everything we are. But it’s not a bad way to be described.