Huge turnout for annual festival
It was beginning to look and feel a lot like fall as Whitpain Township celebrated the 15th annual Fall Harvest Festival at Wentz Run Park Oct. 12 from 11 to 5 p.m.
The trees were slowly beginning to change color before the breezy clear day. Many festivalgoers celebrating the season made sure to wear a light jacket or sweatshirt as there was a slight chill in the air.
TKH Iun-fiOOHG DIWHUnRRn had something in store for the whole family as the festival featured a petting zoo, hayrides, a pumpkin patch, JDPHs, IDFH SDLnWLnJ, LnflDWable moonbounces as well as plenty of vendors for shopping, food provided by P.J. Whelihan’s and a DJ to keep the crowd energized.
Whitpain police and Centre Square Fire Company along with Second Alarmers Rescue Squad were also there to keep the event safe and offered those interested a tour of the various vehicles.
hurt Baker, Whitpain Township director of parks and recreation, called the event a huge success and thanked a number of sponsors for helping to put it all together. He gave special thanks to Genesis Credit rnion and Wisler Pearlstine LLP for sponsoring a number of the children’s attractions.
He also thanked Grace Baptist Church for volunteering to help clean up the venue the next day.
He said the turnout had been overwhelming. NorPDOOy SDUNLnJ fiOOs uS around 12:45 p.m. during the event, which requires attendees to take a shuttle bus, buW WKLs yHDU SDUNLnJ fiOOHG an hour earlier, he said.
The event is a lot of work for a three-person department, Baker said, thanking the volunteers from the Wissahickon High School Interact Club and the Rotary Club who helped set up the event and man the tents.
“We couldn’t do it with out them,” he said.
In the future, Baker said he’d like to see the event become a community event to help lighten the load on the department and volunteers by organizing a committee to oversee the event. Baker said 80 craft vendors, civic associations, political parties and sponsors all had tables lining the paths at the park.
Meagan Murray, of Philadelphia, said the pet adoptions groups attracted her to the festival and that she wanted to grab a pumpkin as well. She also said she wanted to check out the vendors. Murray said she was surprised by the turnout and scale of the event, noting it was a lot larger than she anticipated, and called it a great family event.
Blue Bell resident Matt Brooks echoed Murray’s comments, saying he was surprised by the size of the event. He said it was lot bigger than he thought it would be. Taking in the event with his wife and two daughters, Brooks said his girls liked all of the rides and they were eager to check out what the rest of the festival had to offer.