A little rain didn’t dampen the crowd at the 2017 Fall Festival in Western Springs.
The Western Springs Business Association annual event provided pumpkin judging, children’s crafts and games, musical entertainment and food and drinks from local restaurants.
“We have a few new things this year like face painting and a petting zoo,” said Kristen Hettinga of the WSBA.
Hettinga said they had an expanded raffle featuring sports and tailgate items as well as fruit baskets and other products donated by local businesses. They also set up a large screen TV set up under a tent so people could watch the Cubs first playoff game.
Nika Giuliano of Western Springs and her son Nicholas, 2 1/2, were enjoying the petting zoo, which featured goats, sheep, pigs, ducks and chickens.
Elizabeth Murray, 5, was waiting to get her face painted at a booth sponsored by Living Water Artistry.
“We jumped into line as soon as we got here,” her mother, Hinsdale resident Anita Murray, said. “Elizabeth loves Halloween stuff likes witches, ghosts and pumpkins.”
Decorating mini pumpkins and trying to escape the rain were Tracey Stilley of Western Springs and her 6-year-old daughter Sophia.
“This is our third or fourth year coming to this event and Sophia likes to do the crafts,” Stilley said.
Sophia added she “Likes Halloween and is going to dress up like Evie from “Descendants.'”
The Thomas Ford Library had a booth where they handed out decorate your own slime, according to teen services librarian Heather Booth.
“We created bright green slime to hand out and children can add spiders, eyeballs or glitter,” she said.
She said children were excited to see library storyteller “Miss Gianna” behind the booth, and that the library was also giving out free books to any interested children.
“A number of teenagers came and got the same book, ‘The Other Einstein,’ and said they are going to have their own book club,” Booth said.
More Top Picks Best Full Spectrum Desk Lamps For Reading
Library director Ted Bodewes, who joined the library in 2016, was also on hand to meet residents and talk about the programs and services the library offers.
Entertainment was provided by The Happy Wanderers band that played traditional polkas and other Oktoberfest themed music. Mattix Music Studio of Western Springs provided a children’s sing-a-long and also had small instruments, drums and shakers for children to make their own music, according to owner/director Katie Matrix.
The Western Springs Park District handed out trick-or-treat candy and Doritos. Program coordinator Barb Kartzmark said they were encouraging children to come to the Halloween Bash at Spring Rock Park on Oct. 28.
Food and drinks were provided by area restaurants Hillgrove Tap and Solstice, and by Casey’s Market and BB Donuts.
The annual decorated pumpkin judging featured pumpkins painted every color, including special teal pumpkins said judging volunteer Nikki Hernandez of Westmont.
“The teal pumpkins are part of a new project to allow kids with food allergies to be able to participate in trick or treat,” Hernandez said.
Christina West of Western Springs said her family painted teal pumpkins because her daughter has food allergies. The Teal Pumpkin Project has people who provide non-food treats for trick-or-treating leave a teal pumpkin outside their house so kids who cannot eat candy can still stop and get a treat.
A first place winner in the pumpkin decorating contest was Sylvie Wixted, 9, of Western Springs, who created a pin cushion pumpkin. Sylvie’s mother, Stacey Wixted, said her family has been creating pumpkins almost every year for the contest, and son Henry, 4 submitted a green painted pumpkin this year.
Diane Dachota is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.