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By DONALD MOTTERN | Staff Writer

PELHAM – Pelham is currently preparing a sequel to its smash-hit community fall festival that celebrated its first outing last year. This year’s iteration, while still in the planning stages, is already promising to provide welcome additions to the event, along with a few surprise treats.

Now scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 20 from 1:30-6 p.m. at Pelham City Park, this year’s fall festival is taking last year’s event and combining it with another tested and popular outing enjoyed by the Pelham community. In doing so, it is now going by a new name.

“We are looking forward to an even larger event this year,” said Alicia Walters, assistant director of Pelham Parks and Recreation. “We are excited to share that we are taking two events and making one larger event. We are merging our Fall Fun Day and Music in the Park together and now offering Fall-O-Ween.”

Fall-O-Ween will directly continue the community favorite Trick-or-Treat Trail, which proved to be one of the most enjoyed highlights’ during last year’s event.

“The trail consists of community groups, businesses and organizations in our community that decorate their booth in a fall or Halloween theme and give away lots of candy,” Walters said. “This is a great opportunity for the vendors to give back to the community and share what services they offer our community.”

This year’s trail will also feature the first time that the event will cooperate with the Children’s Entrepreneur Market of Alabama, an organization that seeks to grant children in the community with experiential learning focused on the power of innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship.

Through that program, participating children, ages 5-17, will organize their own market and set up independent vendor tents they will then exclusively manage and operate throughout the event.

The Trick-or-Treat Trail, along with the children’s market, is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. and conclude at 4 p.m.

During that same time, families can also visit the kids’ zone, which will include bounce houses, a bungee jump, face painting stations, a balloon artist, hula hoop fun, carnival games, a costume parade and knockerball.

Walters also encourages all in attendance to bring a blanket or chair so that they can spend some time with others in the enjoyment of the park.

Organizers have also confirmed that food trucks Kayleigh’s Carnival Concessions, Burney’s Mean Greenz and Frios Gourmet Pops have already been scheduled for the event with more likely expected as the event date nears.

Opportunities for the community to enjoy musical entertainment have also been expanded, with The Gore Brothers set to perform from 1:30-4 p.m. before granting the stage to the second act of the evening. The Black Sedan Band will then close out the event with a set highlighting a wide range of songs selected from the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s along with current pop music from 4-6 p.m.

“We encourage all ages to come to Pelham City Park and enjoy an amazing, fun-filled fall day,” Walters said. “Little ones bring your candy buckets for the trick-or-treat trail and dress up in your favorite costume for our costume parade. We can’t wait to see you at this event.”

Those interested in signing their child up for the Children’s Entrepreneur Market can so by visiting Childrensentrepreneurmarket.com.

Individuals or companies interested in taking part in the Trick-or-Treat Trail are also encouraged to reach out to Walters for more information at awalters@pelhamalabama.gov.