Fall Fest offers food, decor and spooky attractions in Elmwood Park

by Laura Bednar

Community members found activities for all ages at the annual Independence Fall Fest on Sunday, Sept. 27, in Elmwood Park.

Food options included a preorder clambake dinner with yams, corn on the cob, coleslaw and a roll, or treats from onsite food trucks.

Tanner Lansky, from Independence, is ready to enjoy the clam bake. Photo by Kim Garred.

After eating, attendees could walk over to a cruise-in car show or hear the winners of the pie-baking contest.

The Hocus Pocus Sanderson sisters from Northeast Ohio Creatives take a photo with Ellie Hyser, age 10, from Independence. Photo by Kim Garred.

Family-friendly activities included hayrides, inflatables, magic shows and a petting zoo. Even the Sanderson sisters from the movie Hocus Pocus stopped to take photos with guests.

Mia, 5; Zoey, 6; and Mia, 3, join mom Abby Dosen and grandparents Tom and Kathy Cole as they decide which direction to walk inside the haunted house at the city pool building. Photo by Kim Garred.

Live entertainment ranged from the Wayne Tomsic Polka Band to a “Twisted Witches” dance performance in the Kiwanis Pavilion.

This year, the city also held paddleboat rides on Elmwood Pond. It was smooth sailing as the weather was sunny and in the 60s.

Photo caption: Community members enjoyed the city’s Fall Fest and the Kiwanis fall barbecue in September. Photos clockwise: At the barbecue, Ozzie Horn (middle) shares his chicken with mom Alyson Horn (l) and Kylie Skoczen. Fall Fest attendees tried paddleboats on Elmwood Pond. Doris and Richard Wolfe cool off with an ice cream cone. Strong boys (l-r) Nico Canabuci, Brady Brown and Jordan Brown, enjoyed the hay ride. Photos by Kim Garred. 

Goats at the petting zoo loved the scratches from Denny, 10, and mom Noelle Ostrowski. Photo by Kim Garred.