Your First Steps to Planning a Fall Festival for Families!

Do you remember the annual fair coming to your hometown? Maybe it was more like a small town carnival? How about your community throwing an annual Fall Festival?

This year, you can be the talk of your community. You can throw the best Fall Festival that will bring back memories of strolling through strings of twinkly lights with a stick of cotton candy in hand. Here are your first three easy steps to throwing a fabulous Fall Festival for families in your neighborhood!

1. Decide on a maximum capacity guest list. Do you have the time energy or budget to host 200 guests? If not, scale back and decide early how many you can realistically plan for. If your guest list turns out to be you and six other families… great! There is no harm in a small guest list. You can do things with a smaller guest list that you may not be able to pull off with a large guest list. Bobbing for apples for instance. Create your final guest list and send out invitations early.

2. Decide on your venue and time of day. You will need a venue that can handle the number of guests you’ve invited, and you must also consider the weather at the time of day you plan to host your event. Evening in fall can be cool, so you’ll want to consider renting an outdoor tent. Your back lawn may be just the spot for your event, or you may want to check with your local community center for available dates. Depending on how large your event will be, find a venue that suits your needs both indoor and outdoor.

3. Choose a decorating theme. Apples and pumpkins aren’t the only fall options. Fall colors go warmer and use deeper tones, but they don’t all turn orange. Feel confident choosing a decorating theme that uses teal and purple and even gold or silver. Just be sure you choose the deepest tones on the color chart and do make it fun for the kids. While some typical choice for fall decor includes wreaths and fall leaves, you can be brave and choose something others may not have thought of, like a Treasure Hunt theme with treasure chests and mix jewel tones, or possibly an outdoors/camping theme with more deep colors of green and maroon. You may want to stick to tradition and focus your decor on pumpkins and fall leaves. Have fun with color and don’t be afraid to think outside the box. 

When you plan your Fall Festival, there are so many details to consider, and it’s easy to get lost in the mix. So plan ahead, get professional help, book any rentals early enough, and see prices and options for everything you need. Planning is the key, and asking around for options and tips may help you with your unique needs, making sure every little thing is handled properly.