HAZY, MAZE-Y DAYS
Township’s first Fall Festival draws a crowd of pumpkin seekers
FRANCONIA >> There were a lot less pumpkins in the pumpkin patch at the start of the second day of the Franconia Township Fall Festival than on the previous morning.
“We started off with close to 1,500,” Franconia Township Police Off. Tim Boyle said.
By the start of the second day, more than 1,000 had been taken, he said.
All the elementary school students in Souderton Area School District had received a coupon for a free pumpkin from the pumpkin patch, he said.
For those without a coupon, pumpkins were available to be purchased, he said.
The department also handed out 1,000 trick or treat bags during the first day of the two-day festival, Boyle and Cpl. Steve Cronin said.
When the hay maze opened on the first day, children getting
to a dead end in the maze found bags of candy there, Cronin said.
“We went through $500 of candy in like the first three hours,” he said.
This was the first year for the Franconia Township Fall Festival, which was held Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12 and 13 in Franconia Community Park.
An estimated attendance of more than 6,000 people came out for the first day, which included displays of emergency services vehicles and ended with a fireworks display sponsored by Bergey’s automobile and truck dealerships, Univest and Walmart.
“It was an all-day packed event,” Cronin said.
Hay rides were provided each day by the BucksMont Two-Cylinder Club.
“The hay rides were a big hit,” Boyle said.
There were about 70 vendors at the festival, he said.
The hay maze, sponsored by EDS (Eastern Diversified Services) included 120 bales, Cronin said.
Each of the bales weighed 1,100 pounds, Off. Ryan Kochersperger said. The maze had one way in and one way out, along with some dead ends, he said.
Next year’s maze will be larger and different from this year’s, he said.
“Obviously, we can create a maze as complicated or as easy as we want,” Kochersperger said.
“The hay maze was made wide enough that it’s wheelchair accessible. That was a key thing,” Cronin said. “We actually had people call in about that.”
The goal was to make it an event that the whole community could take part in, he said.
The maze included several places where families could take photos. The pumpkin patch included a decorating area.
Franconia Township Police Chief Michael Martin estimated about 125 volunteers helped with the festival, the majority of whom were Souderton Area High School students in the school’s Key Club or the National Honor Society.
“They actually approached us and offered to volunteer,” Martin said.
“A lot of people complain about youth today,” he said. “These kids are exceptional. They are fantastic.”
Other volunteers included family members of the police staff and from churches, he said.
Hopewell Christian Fellowship led a service at the park Sunday morning.
Martin credited Boyle with coming up with the idea for the festival and said the township and community provided great support, noting the work by the township’s Public Works Department.
“What you see here is the epitome of a true team effort,” Martin said.
The first year got off to a good start and feedback was being taken from those involved in order to make improvements next year, he said.
“I can’t wait,” Boyle said. “We’ve got so many ideas.”