Last fall the Garrettsville Area Chamber of Commerce wanted to try something new to promote local businesses and hosted a Fall Festival downtown. The results were encouraging enough that the GACC Fall Festival returned on Oct. 21 at James A. Garfield Elementary School.
“One goal is to just to get the town used to having more events,” GACC President Laura Esposito told The Weekly Villager. “This event over the years we are hoping to expand but right now we are just getting it set up as a fall fest so that people will come out and participate.”
According to Esposito, the idea to have a fall festival came about during a roundtable discussion on how to build up the consumer base and promote local businesses for Garrettsville.
Last year’s fall festival raised proceeds that went directly into the general funds for the GACC but this year the funds raised would go toward the monthly mortgage payment dedicated for keeping possession of Buckeye Block.
After remaining a vacant lot for nine years after a fire destroyed everything in 2014, the GACC purchased the Property from former owner Mike Maschek in January and developed plans to build an amphitheater on what was once a previously popular retail draw for the community.
“There was several of us sitting in the coffee shop The Cellar Door and we were brainstorming how do we get people downtown and how do we build up the consumer base for Garrettsville,” Esposito said. “We talked about that land over there so if someone built something or did something and then it just evolved from there.”
Construction has already started with trees having been planted, bricks being laid and the arch already reads Buckeye Block.
Esposito said the plan is to build a green space on the Property and add flowers, trees, fences and then build a stage. She added the hope is that by building a stage it will allow downtown Garrettsville to host more events especially over the summer.
“I think it’s important for the growth of Garrettsville,” she said. “We have recently lost one business downtown and it is partially because they are going to school and partially because we are not getting the variety of people downtown that buy from them. We as the GACC have to try and grow who is coming down to Garrettsville and reach out to different people.”
The second annual Fall Festival was originally supposed to be held at Buckeye Block but weather forecasts projected poor weather on both Friday and Saturday so the GACC moved the Fall Festival to James A. Garfield Elementary School on short notice.
“I feel very grateful,” Esposito acknowledged. “The James A. Garfield school and the superintendent are part of the Chamber and they are huge supporters to our events.”
The GACC offered several activities at the Fall Festival, including a chili cook-off, face-painting for young children and a scarecrow pageant with participants having the option of donating their scarecrows to the Nelson Garrettsville Community Cover Murder Mystery, happening this Saturday at James A. Garfield High School.
In only its second year of existence, Esposito said she could already see the growth in the Fall Festival from last year’s inception.
“We are still in that growth phase so the fact that we have three more people making chili, that doesn’t seem like a lot but it is huge,” she said. “I don’t know how many scarecrows we have coming but hopefully over time things will keep increasing and it will become a bigger event and we can add different things to it to make it larger.”
Esposito said the goal in making the Fall Festival an annual tradition is drawing more traffic to downtown Garrettsville to make it into a popular tourist destination.
2023 Scarecrow & Chili Winners
The recent community event brought together culinary enthusiasts and creative minds in a fun and competitive showdown of flavors and scarecrow designs. From traditional to vegan and even wild game chilis, the Chili Winners’ circle was as diverse as the ingredients that went into their delicious concoctions.
Chili Winners:
Eight competitors threw their culinary hats into the ring, showcasing their chili-making skills. After much tasting and deliberation, the judges decided on the following winners:
1st Place: Lizzy Hadzinsky Lizzy’s chili clearly won over the judges with its exceptional flavor profile, earning her the coveted first place.
2nd Place: Gwen Can Voorihis Gwen’s chili came in a close second, impressing everyone with its unique and delectable qualities.
3rd Place: Harold Clark Harold’s chili secured a well-deserved third place, marking his culinary prowess.
People’s Choice Award: Lizzy Hadzinsky Lizzy not only wowed the judges but also captured the hearts of the attendees, earning the People’s Choice Award for her scrumptious chili.
But that’s not all the fun the event had to offer. Scarecrow enthusiasts also put their imaginative skills to the test, crafting whimsical and spooky creations that added a delightful touch to the gathering.
Scarecrow Contest Winners:
- JAG Industrial Arts Class presented “No Crows” and bagged the Funniest Scarecrow title, leaving everyone in stitches with their creative take on scaring off crows.
- The French Club brought “Some Dude” to life, earning them the Most Creative Scarecrow award for their unique and inventive design.
- The YMCA showcased “Pennywise,” a spine-tingling creation that earned them the title of Spookiest Scarecrow.
The community event was not just a culinary showdown but a celebration of creativity and community spirit. Congratulations to all the winners, and kudos to everyone who participated for making the day an unforgettable one!
