Festival adds website in hopes of adding help

Perry Fall Festival set for Sept. 7

Perry Village has added a link to its website to make it easy for area residents to sign up as volunteers for the Perry Fall Festival. The link, which can be found on the homepage of perry-village. info, connects visitors to an announcement about the Sept. 7 festival, along with information about how to volunteer at the event. “Because (the festival) is going to (feature) a lot more activities than we’ve ever had there before, we’re going to need more volunteers,” said Phil Cassella, a member of the festival steering committee who also serves on Perry Village Council. The festival, slated for 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 7, at Lee Lydic Park, 3954 Call Road, is returning after taking a one-year break in 2018. That postponement was intended to accommodate a transition in leadership in the Perry Area Joint Recreation District, which sponsors the event. In previous years, the festival took place over two consecutive days — on a Saturday and Sunday. But for 2019, the steering committee is taking a new approach and holding a Saturday-only event, which will focus on enhancing activities for children during the day and adults at night. Volunteer assignments are aimed at fully staffing some of the featured attractions throughout the day at the Fall Festival. The online application states that volunteers are needed from as early as 9 a.m. to as late as 8 p.m.

An example of the time slots and assignments include:

• 10 a.m. to noon — Helping to set up auction items

• 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Staffing the plant sale booth

• Noon to 6 p.m. — Supervising the children’s bounce house or slide

• 5 to 6 p.m. — Selling bingo tickets

• 6 to 7 p.m. — Providing food and raffle service.

“The larger time slots can/will be split between multiple volunteers,” the online application states. In addition, the application provides a space in which volunteers can indicate the specific hours when they’re available within larger time slots.

While adults can enlist online as a volunteer, anyone under age 18 wishing to help at the festival must come to Village Hall, 3758 Center Road, to complete a print application.

All volunteers are invited to attend the steering committee’s final meeting, which will take place at 5 p.m., Aug. 26, at the Perry Township Administration Office, 3740 Center Road.

Visitors to the festival can enjoy daytime activities such as a petting zoo, inflatables and pony rides for the kids, as well as hayrides, a magic show, balloon artist and face painting.

The Perry High School Marching Band will perform at 1 p.m.

Perry Joint Fire District will bring its safety trailer to the event, while the Perry Village Police Department will sponsor its Duck Derby and conduct a K-9 demonstration.

There also will be food vendors and Chinese auction tickets will be sold, with prizes to be awarded at 5 p.m.

Night-time activities at the festival will gear up at 6 p.m., when a reverse raffle begins with a catered dinner provided by Stewart’s Smokin’ Backyard BBQ.

For more information about vendor booth spaces, call Chris Znidarsic at 440259-3772 while questions about reverse raffle tickets can be directed to Michele Woltman at 440-259-5140.

All proceeds from the festival will benefit the Perry Area Joint Recreation District’s youth and senior community programs.

The district serves Perry and North Perry villages, Perry Township, and Perry Schools.

“Because (the festival) is going to (feature) a lot more activities than we’ve ever had there before, we’re going to need more volunteers.” — Phil Cassella, a member of the festival steering committee who also serves on Perry Village Council