Record attendance for Harvest Fest
They were parking in the back field behind the parking lot, they waited in line for free hot dogs and chips, and they sat patiently as they waited for their turn on the hay ride.
Hundreds of kids and parents came to the North Shore Church Alliance Church on West Mariana Road on Saturday for the annual Harvest Fest, which has become the safe, family friendly alternative to trick-or-treating.
Pastor Tim Richter said it seemed like a lot more than last year eschewed traditional trick-or-treating for fun in air-conditioned splendor.
“It’s packed. All our parking went really quick, but that’s a good problem,” Richter said. “There are a lot of people having a good time and that’s what we’re here for, giving them a safe, fun good time.”
Outside the church was a rock climbing wall, hayrides and a trick-or-treat lane with volunteers stationed at each stop with candy for the kids.
Beverly Hetrick, a churchgoer, volunteered at the hayride and saw many people having a blast.
“I love this event. It’s a great outreach for the community and a safe place for kids and families to have fun and get candy,” Hetrick said. “At the end of the evening most of the staff will have a chance to ride.”
Inside the church was where much of the action was, with several bounce houses, places for families to take pictures, face painting and a place for everyone to get their free hot dogs and chips.
Skylar Mallard, who came with a bunch of family members, loved the idea of having a place for everyone to come instead of knocking on strangers’ doors.
“It’s great they’re doing this for the kids. It’s the first time we’ve done this and it’s amazing,” Mallard said.
Elke Geraldo, a parent who came dressed as Mari, brought her two children, who were playing in the bounce houses as opposed to sweating in costume on a hot, Halloween night.
“It’s great that it’s indoors. We were trick or treating, but it got hot so we stopped. It’s great this is on from 6 to 8 p.m.,” Geraldo said. “The bounce houses is the best thing for them.”
The record crowds could be attributed to Halloween falling on a Saturday, Richter said, giving families all day to prepare for Harvest Fest.
But this also created a problem for the church. Once last call came at 8 p.m., the volunteers had to break down the bounce houses and all the activities and set up the church for Sunday service the next morning.
But it was worth it, Richter said, as he never imagined this evet would be as popular as it has become.
“Every year it gets bigger and better and we add some things. We expected a lot of people on a Saturday,” Richter said.