Fall Festival has new site, attractions
BUTLER — Although the annual Fall Festival will see a change of venue this year, officials believe the event has a lot to offer, including several new attractions.
Now in its 41st year, the Saturday event is moving to Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park from downtown Butler. The festival offers music, games, a car show and everything else synonymous with the event. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
According to Dean Selfridge, festival president, a lack of volunteers forced the move to Pullman Park. He said the park will allow the festival to be contained in one area, which makes it easier to manage.
“Down there, we felt logistics-wise we could pull it off, rather than cancel altogether,” he said of options discussed for the festival.
As always, the focus will be on craft vendors, which will be spread out around the stadium's outfield in a semicircle fashion. Selfridge noted there are more than 100 vendors scheduled to be on-hand, selling everything from arts and crafts to beauty products and other wares.Selfridge said support for the vendors is appreciated and crucial to the festival continuing to run. He said the fees vendors pay to participate cover the costs of the event.“We hope people realize that and support them,” he said.
In the “Kids Zone,” bounce houses, inflatables and slides will be on-hand to provide entertainment to the youngest attendees. But that doesn't mean adults can't join in the fun.Selfridge said there will even be a few “adult games” at the festival for the first time this year. These include a keg barrel rolling competition presented by Recon Brewing, and a stein hoisting competition by Missing Links Brewery.
As for music, Selfridge said organizers had a difficult time finding available sound engineers to run the normal live music stages. Instead, a DJ will be set up on the premises to provide music to keep the atmosphere festive.Additionally, the Pullman Park public address announcer will play music over the stadium's sound system. That system will also be used to announce activities and promote various vendors, Selfridge said.
Traditional Oktoberfest food and drink will be available, including items such as kettle corn and other German-theme fare.Selfridge said the annual car show will be set up in front of the stadium, offering a chance for attendees to see various classic automobiles.
Selfridge said the move to Pullman Park allows for ample parking and easy access. He said nearby businesses also agreed to permit additional parking if necessary. Parking lots surround the park, officials noted, and staff members will direct crowds.Selfridge added there is also a bus stop nearby, so those who do not drive can still attend.The entrance to the park will be closed due to the outdoor stage. Visitors can enter at the CY+ building and Keystone Electrical Supply.Selfridge noted there are other events happening in the Butler area on Saturday, including a craft festival and farmers market. He said the Fall Festival is just one stop during an afternoon in which residents have many options. He hopes the events complement each other.“Hopefully, people come and go between everything,” he said.
Looking forward, Selfridge said since news of the festival's relocation broke, a number of volunteers stepped up and offered support for the 2020 rendition of the event, tentatively scheduled for Sept. 19.Because of that, officials have discussed moving the event back to downtown next year. He said there are also talks of making the live music portion bigger and better.In the meantime, however, he hopes people will still turn out and support the longtime Butler event, regardless of location.“Some people were concerned, and as much as we want to have it in downtown Butler, we hope people still come to support it,” he said. “Hopefully, everyone will be happy.”
