Temple, Texas – September 21, 2026 -- Historic dance halls across Texas continue to function as active community gathering spaces, according to insights from Lorinda Baum of Bos Barn Dance Hall in Temple, Texas.

Small towns built dance halls as shared community spaces

Many of these buildings were constructed when towns needed simple venues for families to gather. Dances, celebrations, and fundraisers held there gradually tied the structures to the people and towns around them.

Beijing – September 20, 2026 -- Nearly 210 million people around the world are now learning or using Chinese, according to China's Ministry of Education, as the language moves from classrooms into everyday pop culture and career paths.

Ninety countries have added Chinese to their national school curricula

The Ministry of Education reports that 90 countries have incorporated Chinese into their education systems. In the first half of this year, 564,000 candidates worldwide sat for the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK), a 36 percent increase year on year.

Kansas City – September 20, 2026 -- America Haunts, the national trade association for haunted attractions, has named its Top 5 Fan Favorite Haunted Attractions for 2026, spotlighting venues in Texas, Georgia, Missouri, Utah and New York that draw repeat visitors year after year.

New York – September 20, 2026 -- YSL Beauty transformed La Esquina, the SoHo taqueria at the corner of Kenmare and Lafayette, into a one-night takeover for the New York edition of its global Block Party series, drawing Teyana Taylor, Lauryn Hill, Emmy Rossum, Karl Anthony Towns and wife Jordyn Woods, alongside YSL Beauty U.S. Makeup Ambassadors Amelia Gray and Laura Harrier.

Washington – September 20, 2026 -- The U.S. Postal Service released its Christmas Cookies Forever stamps today at a family-friendly event at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.

The stamps come in booklets of 20 and are sold as Forever stamps, meaning their value always matches the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce rate. They are available at Post Office locations nationwide and on usps.com.

Kunshan – September 20, 2026 -- The 2026 Cross-Strait (Kunshan) Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival opened on the evening of Sept. 16 in Kunshan, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, drawing visitors from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together.

This year's festival spans two main lantern display areas, Huiju Square and Zhouzhuang, alongside a cross-Strait art exhibition, a traditional performing arts fair, and a forest-based "Moonlit Cultural Gathering."

Humble – September 20, 2026 -- The U.S. Postal Service has released Winter Wreath, a new Global Forever stamp that covers postage for a 1-ounce letter mailed to any country served by First-Class Mail International. The stamp was issued without a ceremony in Humble, Texas.

Los Angeles – September 20, 2026 -- Digital IP entertainment company IPX has launched the third MIGHTEEZ collection, a character line created with K-pop group ATEEZ, exclusively through LINE FRIENDS SQUARE US Online starting September 18.

Rochester, N.Y. – September 19, 2026 -- Eight circus companies take over downtown Rochester this weekend as the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival launches CIRCUS IN THE CITY, the first large-scale outdoor circus event of its kind in Western New York. The free performances run Friday, September 18 and Saturday, September 19, with shows at Parcel 5 from 5 to 10 p.m. and Gibbs Street from 5 to 9 p.m.

The broader ESL Rochester Fringe Festival continues through September 26, marking its 15th season with 715 performances across 297 productions at 45 venues in 12 days.

Joliet, Illinois – September 19, 2026 -- A new HelloNation feature outlines what families can expect when a child starts dance classes for the first time, drawing on guidance from Lori A. Bowen, MDE, of La Danse Académie in Joliet, Illinois.