The Park District of Oak Park’s Fall Fest was never intended to be an annual event, according to executive director Jan Arnold, but the fest’s popularity has made it so.
The free festival Sept. 27 featured inflatables and food for sale in Rehm Park, horse-drawn wagon rides kicking off from East Avenue, and pumpkin decorating at the Oak Park Conservatory.
“We actually got bigger wagons this year,” Arnold said of the popular wagon rides, which she said draw long lines. “This has definitely become a very well-attended event.”
Now in its fourth year, the event was first held in 2012 as part of the park district’s centennial celebrations.
Park district spokeswoman Diane Stanke said 1,000 to 1,500 people typically attend, “although every year it seems to be growing.”
Lauren and Sean Bryant of Oak Park watched as their daughter, Aliyah, searched for the perfect pumpkin in the conservatory’s Herbert M. Rubinstein Memorial Garden.
“She’s still on the hunt,” Lauren Bryant said.
When asked what she planned to be for Halloween, Aliyah Bryant didn’t hesitate before emphatically replying, “Yes! Elsa,” referring to the popular “Frozen” character.
The family checked out Fall Fest last year; Sean Bryant said it’s a good family outing.
“It’s fun to do stuff in the community, she loves it and it’s a good way to kick off fall,” Lauren Bryant said.
After choosing pumpkins, children took them into the conservatory to decorate them with markers and stickers; other crafts, like mask-making, were set up on nearby tables.
The festival’s growing crowds included families from beyond Oak Park. Heather and Javier Herrera traveled from the Edison Park neighborhood of Chicago to take their daughter, Ava, to Fall Fest.
“She’s got a balloon, a firefighter hat, a pumpkin — everything,” Heather Herrera said.
Aki and Timo Kuhn’s twins, Mila and Remi, enjoyed the wagon ride and other activities at the fest. The family came from the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago.
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“My son loves this,” Aki Kuhn said, laughing as she gestured to the hand-powered trains.
Others, like Chrissy and Jim Becker and their children, live a block away from the park and checked out the fest for the first time this year, since their children, Jonathan and Sadie, were old enough to enjoy the activities.
“The horses go right by our house,” Jim Becker said of the wagon ride route. “It’s just a beautiful day, it really is.”
As their three daughters munched on blue cotton candy, Jessica and Tamar Phillips of Oak Park said they appreciated the variety of free activities the fest offered and that they were able to spend time with neighbors.
Although the line for the wagon ride was long, “it was worth it,” Jessica Phillips said.
At the park district’s tent, Arnold chatted with children drawing pictures of their favorite park district offering.
“It is a great turnout,” Arnold said as she surveyed the crowds. “The weather cooperated with us this year.”
Caitlin Mullen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.