Fall Festivals – Autumn Leaves are Calling Again!

 Fall Festivals Rental

Leaves falling, crisp air, comical scarecrows, and harvested crops are just a few reminders that the Autumn season is here once again. Personally this is my FAVORITE season of the year for many reasons, but especially because it brings PERFECT event weather!! There are many themed events that occur from September to November, but the most popular has got to be the Fall Festivals.

It seems that everyone loves Fall Festivals and there are many different groups that like to plan them. Townships, Colleges and Universities, Elementary and Middle Schools, Religious Organizations, and Block Parties love to use Fall Festivals as the perfect way to bring everyone together to celebrate. As with any event, it does take planning and creativity to create the perfect safe, fun, family activity that everyone can enjoy. Embrace the challenge and willingness to think outside the box a bit for this perfect seasonal fun. Here are some items to keep in mind to help make your planning a breeze!

What are your objectives for this festival?

Are you planning a kid friendly fundraiser, or a free fun filled family event? Will you charge for each game, or will there be an all-inclusive price? Create a budget and stick to it. There are activities for all budgets available, know what your budget is and ask for activities that fit within it. As you plan your event, involve your leaders and volunteers in the decision-making and brainstorming process. By asking the leaders for feedback, ideas, and suggestions from the start, you’re encouraging them to offer their input throughout the planning of the event.

When and where will you hold your festival?

Begin planning well in advance. Committees need plenty of time to brainstorm, gather materials, recruit volunteers, and make community connections. High attendance can mean a lot of people traffic. Make sure your location is big enough and spread out activities, ticket sales and food as much as possible. Elite Event Services specializes in understanding layouts, traffic control, trash management, and all of those logistical needs that are necessary to make an event successful, but can often be overlooked.

How will you manage the event?

Anyone who has planned an event knows how many details are involved. An awesome festival really just boils down to project management. Have a core group of leaders who will be in charge of different elements (food, advertising, donations, games, etc) that can then have committees. Many of these items can be handled by a turn-key event provider that will help streamline the event planning process for your group.  This allows you to spend time on recruiting volunteers, maintaining the budget, soliciting donations from local businesses, etc.

Can you recruit enough volunteers?

Parents, teachers, employees, friends and family.  Another option is to recruit teen volunteers from nearby high schools who need service hours for graduation. Recruitment becomes easier as your event becomes a tradition.

What type of games and entertainment should I offer?

It is always nice to offer a balance of games for all ages or age appropriate for your crowd. You don’t want all the inflatables, midway games, prizes, crafts and other activities to be geared towards elementary-aged children.  If this is a public event, there will be children of all ages present. If this is an event for an elementary school, it is important to have the entertainment for that age group. There are many options available and working with Elite Event Services will allow you to ask those questions and get answers to help in the decision making process.

Should you also consider raising money for other causes at your festival?

Festivals draw large crowds and there may be an opportunity to include a fundraiser for other events or even local charities. It can be a great way to gather up support for your favorite causes.

What type of food will you be serving or selling?

Food can often be overlooked or planned at the last minute. This is a great way to wow everyone with tasty seasonal snacks and treats. Traditional festival foods include popcorn, pretzels, cotton candy, sno cones, caramel corn, and caramel apples. Drinks such as hot apple cider, and hot chocolate are excellent choices for this time of year. You can jazz up the options by adding a toppings station for even more fun.

How will you market and advertise the festival to your attendees?

Draw a record crowd with media attention and publicity ahead of time. Lots of advertising is key.If the budget permits, and place ads in the local newspaper. Feature the unique games, food, booths or activities planned for the day. Use social media. Create a Facebook Page to showcase the event. Make a buzz! With a little hard work and creativity, you can plan a Festival that everyone will be talking about!