A Fall Festival, featuring live entertainment, children's activities, food and more, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 1 to 7 p.m. at Minch Park, 111 West St., Parkesburg. The first-time event is being presented by Everybody Plays! - a new community organization that is looking to renovate the playground at Minch Park so that it is accessible to children of all abilities.

"We anticipate having over 30 retail and food vendors," said Everybody Plays! committee member Sara Rice. "We'll have performances from the Octorara High School choir, the Melton (Arts and Education) Center, Avon Grove Charter School Dance Company (and the bands) New Damage, A New Wave and Younger Than Charlie. We'll have a few carnival games, a 'Date With a Skeleton' photo booth, kids' craft stations and an activities course sponsored by The (Parkesburg) POINT."

The Fall Festival will be one part of a day of activities being planned in and around the park, including bingo, which will take place from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at the Parkesburg VFW, 406 Fourth Ave. Tickets will be available at the door, and food and beverages will be available for purchase.

"There will be a baseball tournament at the field. The Parkesburg Lions Club's annual Halloween Parade and Trunk or Treat is also planned, and the Parkesburg Action Committee, in partnership with some of the Main Street businesses, are hosting a bingo at the VFW around the corner from the park, the proceeds from which will also benefit the playground," said Rice.

Plans call for the playground's main structure to be fully wheelchair accessible, which would include a merry-go-round and interactive play panels, both of which could accommodate wheelchair users. The proposed playground would also include a disc swing, where a number of children can swing together, and an area for children with sensory issues who need a break from play. Organizers emphasized that the accessible elements will be included, not separated.

A planning meeting was held on Sept. 14 at the Parkesburg VFW, during which residents were invited to share their thoughts about the proposed changes.

"The feedback (from the information session) and our continued conversations with the community have been overwhelmingly positive. People love both the idea of what we're doing and the playground design," said Rice. "The borough has continued to be supportive, and we recently presented in front of COG (Western Chester County Council of Governments), and other municipalities have expressed interest in working with us in one form or another."

For more information about the project or the Fall Festival, search for "Everybody Plays" on Facebook.