Best Fest Ever!
By Pawling Rotary
The Pawling Rotary’s annual Fall Fest took place last Saturday, September 25th, and it was a grand success. With beautiful blue skies in abundance, over 400 people, mostly families with small children, participated in activities created by Jessica Dickinson at Pawling Rec and her team of teens from the Interact Club. Pawling Recreation was a Rotary partner in this year’s event.
Kid fun included pumpkin painting, face painting, a whole slew of games and prizes, pony rides, a hay maze, touch a truck, and activities led by Pawling Lacrosse coaches and players. A children’s book sale at the Pawling Library tent nearly sold out, and the new children’s library renderings were on full display, garnering much interest for this much needed library expansion. Ms. Neena, the Pawling Library Children’s program coordinator, spent the day engaging children with an arts and crafts project and nearby; adorable pups from BluePath Service Dogs were on hand for pets and pats.
For adults, Cow Chip Bingo was a huge draw, with $1,000 in winnings to the person who bought the square where the cow chip fell. A beautiful Mrs. Prindables fall basket of chocolate covered apples, pretzels and other fall treats was a popular raffle, along with the 50/50 raffle handled adeptly by Rotarians Joe Coraci and Carl Dill.
Rotarians Susan Stone and Earl Crawford were busy at the Rotary Welcome Tent, handing out event bracelets, a detailed map outlining the locations of all activities, and selling raffle tickets. Jeff Asher could be found taking pictures, and keeping tabs of the cow and all bingo activities.
Amazingly popular was the giant pumpkin family photo op, located next to the welcome tent. “I think every family stopped there first to pose for a group picture,” remarked event chair, Stone. The pumpkin is said to be the largest east of the Mississippi and is made out of papier-mâché, weighing over 400 pounds! It was donated to the fall fest by Jonathan Dill, who hauled it in with one of his big rigs, which was also included in the touch a truck activity.
The Bar-B-Que was one of the busiest areas of this event, with hot dogs and hamburgers served up with a smile by Rotarians John Ammaturo, Dick Harshbarger, Stephanie Mclaughlin, Terry Ariano, and Lori Johnson. Interact club members were busy creating their specialty milkshakes at their “shake shack” located just a stone’s throw away.
Special thanks to the many who helped to make this year’s Pawling Rotary Fall Fest…Fabulous! Among them is Wendel Weber and his crew who prepped the property around Lathrop with tenting, fencing, and over forty sponsor banners, Cloverbrook Farm for the two adorable ponies, helpers, and sweet-faced cow, Eastern Hay, the Boy and Girl Scouts, Dykeman Farm for pumpkins and corn stalks, Petersen’s Patterson Greenhouse for beautiful, colorful mums, and the Pawling Library Centennial Committee members Verna Carey, Mary Ellen Ros along with volunteers Reed Asher and Edie Flood for their participation. Finally, a special thank you to our many sponsors. Proceeds from Saturday’s event will be donated to those organizations in Pawling that support Pawling’s children and their families, and to Rotary International’s Charitable Foundation and its support for women and children worldwide. In all, Pawling Rotary donates nearly twenty thousand dollars annually in gifts and grants.
