Fall is back, and so is the week-long Fall Festival in Southbury.
Kicking off on Saturday, October 10, all activities are free for Southbury residents to attend, though most activities will require registration. Residents of other towns are welcome to join for a small fee.
Non-perishable donations will be collected at each event to benefit the Southbury Food Bank.
Fall Fest kicks off on Saturday, October 10, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at Town Hall Green and the Parks and Rec building. Free cider will be served by the Knights of Columbus, apple cider donuts will be donated by ShopRite, and locally grown apples will be donated by Hidden Gem Orchard.
A fall scavenger hunt, lawn games, craft vendors, seasonal activities, and some furry farm friends will be on site. Stop by the Parks and Rec tent to drop off your guess as to how many candies are in the jar. Activities will move into the Parks and Rec building if the weather does not cooperate, and an announcement will be posted on the Parks and Rec website on Friday afternoon. There is no registration required or admission fee for the Fall Fest Kick Off.
Scarecrow building will be held at the Parks and Rec building to submit to the Scarecrow Contest and to display during Outdoor Movie Night. Materials will be provided, and registration is required. Clothes and accessories are donated by the Southbury Training School Thrift Shops. Submissions created outside the sponsored program times can be brought to the Parks and Rec office during regular business hours until Wednesday, October 14, at 4:00 pm.
On Tuesday, October 13, pumpkin carving will take place at the Parks and Rec building from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. where participants are encouraged to submit their finished pumpkins to the Fall Fest Pumpkin Contest.
Submitted pumpkins will be illuminated and displayed during Movie Night and will be available for pickup any time after the movie. Pumpkins are being donated by ShopRite. All pumpkin scraps will be repurposed by Sustainable Southbury to feed local farm animals.
On Wednesday, October 14, the American Red Cross will host a blood drive at the Parks and Rec building from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Sponsored by the Southbury Senior Center, signup is encouraged but not required.
At 4:00 pm, a wildlife presentation, Into the Wild, will focus on the research of local Little Brown Bats at Phillips Farm Preserve and features an interactive animal skeleton exhibit. This program will be hosted in the Parks and Rec building and run by the Southbury Land Trust. Registration is required.
On Thursday, October 15, come dressed for trick-or-treating, a dance party, and an outdoor movie. There is no admission fee or registration required for the Trick-or-Treat Parade or Outdoor Movie Night.
Held outside the Parks and Rec building, a children’s costume parade will be held at 5:00 p.m. and will immediately be followed by the opportunity to bust a move with Zumba instructor Karen Miller.
Free popcorn and water will be served throughout the night by Southbury Parks and Rec, although families are encouraged to bring picnic dinners. The outdoor movie showing will begin around 6:30 p.m. and will have a run-time of 102 minutes. Outdoor Movie Night is co-sponsored by the Southbury Public Library, and, due to licensing and copyright agreements, they are unable to list the title of the newly released PG-rated film. Layered clothing and blankets are encouraged.
Winners for the pumpkin and scarecrow contests will be announced at Outdoor Movie Night. Prizes will be awarded to the Best Pumpkin by a Child, Teen, Adult, and Family, and two prizes will be awarded for Best Overall Scarecrow and Runner-up. Members from the Southbury Arts and Culture Alliance will be judging the two contests and will provide prizes to the winners.
The fall guessing game winner will also be announced and they will be able to pick up their prize in time to enjoy that candy during the movie.
Should the weather not cooperate, Outdoor Movie Night and its activities will move to Saturday, October 17, with the same time schedule. An announcement will be posted to southburyct.myrec.com on Wednesday afternoon regarding any change.
For a less stimulating movie option, there will be a second showing of the new release as a sensory friendly Indoor Movie Matinee on Friday, October 16. (Region 15’s schools are closed for professional development day.) Bean bags and gentle lighting will set the cozy, quiet atmosphere. Popcorn and water will be provided by Parks and Rec; families are welcome to bring snacks. While the program is free to all residents, space is limited, and registration is required.
Full information and registration is available online at southburyct.myrec.com.
