HAMPDEN — Hampden’s 2024 Fall Fest will take place on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 12-5 p.m. at Thornton W. Burgess School on 85 Wilbraham Rd. and feature new attractions, such as hot air balloon rides.
The third annual event will include activities such as a pumpkin jack-o’-lantern illumination contest, a climbing rock wall, a trunk or treat contest, a bounce house and a DJ, Founder Laura Salerno told Reminder Publishing. The event will take place mostly outside with the pumpkin jack-o’-lantern contest inside the gym. All activities are free to the public.
For the pumpkin jack-o’-lantern illumination contest, participants should bring their fully carved pumpkin to the Thornton Burgess gym before 12 p.m. with judging occurring between 12-2 p.m. that day. The winner will then be announced at 3 p.m., Salerno stated. Judging will be completed by the public. The top three winners will receive a monetary prize. Similarly, the trunk or treat contest will open for set up between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. with judging from 12-2 p.m. and a 3 p.m. announced winner.
The event will also host food vendors, including Fry’d Guys and Yomos Baked, as well as displays featuring local businesses and crafters, Salerno said. The Home Depot is also expected to host a building class and a tent with chairs and tables will be available for visitors to sit.
The event’s hot air balloon will be tethered to three trucks and will offer rides at $10 per person, Salerno said. Since the balloon is tethered, it will only move up and down and will have a constant view of the autumn foliage of GreatHorse country club. She noted that rides are typically $20 per person, but that the event is covering the other half of the admission cost for visitors.
The annual Hampden Fall Fest was first hosted by Salerno and her husband three year prior as a way to bring the community together. “I love to get people together [and] I love the fall,” Salerno said. “What is a better way [to combine these interests?]”
During its initial two years, the event was hosted with support from the Hampden Parks and Recreation. Funds for the event are raised through financial support from residents and local businesses with help from fundraisers and flyers, Salerno explained. Any additional funds after the event go toward supporting the next year’s event and the community, such as purchasing team sports shirts for students and donating money for Memorial Park.
For 2024, the event is sponsored by Affordable Waste Solutions, ArborTech Tree Services LLC, Bilton’s Mountainside Orchard, Fenway Golf, GreatHorse, Ground Breakers Services, Hampden Sign Co., K Sacco Electric Inc., La Cucina di Hampden House, Lawn Tech Lawn Care, Monson Savings, Mountain View Restaurant, Richard R Green Insurance Inc., The Home Depot, and The Polish National Credit Union.
While the town of Hampden used to sponsor a fall festival years ago, the event had stopped years before Salerno and her husband decided to revive the concept as Hampden Fall Fest, she said.
For updates and more information about the Hampden Fall Fest, visit its Facebook page at facebook.com/HampdenFallFest. Residents interested in taking part in the trunk or treat contest or craft fair should reach out before the event through the contact information available on this page. The event has a rain date of Sunday, Oct. 6.
