Don your fall gear, pack the kids in the car and head out for a day of fun when GEARS hosts its 16th annual Fall Festival. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Elizabethtown Fairgrounds, 900 E. High St.

"The GEARS Fall Festival is an annual tradition that allows us to serve the community while bringing together groups of all ages to enjoy fall-themed activities and create memories with their friends and families," said Karrie Norman, GEARS program coordinator. "It also gives the local students an opportunity to be creative, develop leadership and work together to engage and provide value to their community."

The Fall Festival will include a variety of activities, including pumpkin golf, pumpkin painting, a haunted barn with age-appropriate scare levels, line dancing and more. Inflatables, including a bounce house, a Velcro sticky wall and an inflatable obstacle course, will also be featured, along with barrel train rides and a farm-themed toddler inflatable play yard.

"There is also family bingo sponsored by Elizabethtown Senior Center," Norman said.

She emphasized that Fall Fest offers fun for attendees but also an opportunity for GEARS to work with local students for the activities.

"Students of the Etown middle school student council will be hosting many free carnival-style games and activities that they designed and brought to life," she said. "Etown college students will be hosting several tables of activities, including crafts and music therapy, as part of their 'Dancing Into the Streets' day of community volunteer service."

A variety of food and beverage vendors will be present at the festival, including M.A.D. BBQ LLC, which will serve brisket, pork, beans and macaroni and cheese; Extra Rice PA, serving Filipino/Asian food, including rice bowls with meat and vegan options, lumpia, musubi and halo-halo; Ginger Gypsy's Bar, with freshly squeezed lemonade; Mocha Motion Coffee, with specialty coffees and acai/smoothie bowls; Dutch Country Soft Pretzels, serving hand-rolled soft pretzels; and the PA Dairymen's Association, serving milkshakes.

Norman noted that the festival is made possible by the support of several sponsors, including Event Sponsor DDMP.

"M2 Dentistry is an Activity Sponsor, and several other local businesses are generously sponsoring various inflatables and activities," she said, adding that a full list of sponsors can be found on the GEARS website and social media pages.

While the Fall Festival is free to attend, some activities will require a small fee. Activities can be purchased individually or with a wristband for unlimited participation. A play-all-day bingo wristband is also available for a set price.

"Proceeds from the event directly support the programs that GEARS offers to reach our goals of connecting people of all ages through recreation, learning, child care and senior center services that strengthen the community and their quality of life," Norman said. "All of the students have been working hard to prepare activities for the community to enjoy, so stop by, take advantage of the many free activities and share in the excitement of the fall season."

For more information on the Fall Festival, visit http://www.getintogears.org or follow GEARS on Facebook.

This event is not sponsored by the Elizabethtown Area School District, and the district assumes no liability for the event, including its content, conduct or any associated outcomes.