Introducing Fall Fest

CELEBRATING FALL FEST

BY MEREDITH BALZEN

On September 28, families from around the city made their way to the Junior League of San Antonio’s Fall Fest event at Hemisfair Park. The outdoor downtown location was an idyllic setting for the event that boasted activities, food, fun, and shopping for the whole family. With nearly 500 people in attendance on the big day, the League was beyond pleased.

“We are thrilled with how the event turned out,” said Amanda Crouch, Vice President of the Fund Development Council.

Before the Junior League year officially kicked off, the Fund Development Council was tasked with creating a new fall fundraiser. At the early planning stages, the team’s goal was to create a familyfriendly event for the community that would play up one of JLSA’s strengths— its dedicated army of trained volunteers.

“From the get go, Brooke and I knew what we were taking on—the challenge of creating a new event,” said Kristel Gonzaba, Fall Fundraiser Committee CoChair. “We never doubted our decision, and we loved being able to bring our ideas to life.”

Kristel and Brooke Haley, who were tasked with turning the idea of a new fundraiser into a reality, credit much of this year’s success to the mighty members of the Fall Fest Committee, along with support from the rest of the League and the office staff team.

On the big day, kids enjoyed a variety of activities, including the Kiddie Cake Walk, sponsored by Nothing Bundt Cakes, pumpkin decorating, face painting, Magik Theatre Story Time, and the biggest hit of them all, Touch-A-Truck, sponsored by Raising Cane’s. Among the trucks in the Touch-A-Truck area were a vintage mustang, police car, ambulance, tractor, and fire truck.

Not to be outdone by the kid’s activities, the shopping was top notch, as many local vendors lined the sidewalk of Hemisfair. Patrons could purchase anything from handmade purses to sweet-smelling candles and adorable apparel for kids and adults.

“It was such a neat opportunity for my sons to experience the vehicles up close and personal!” Rebekah Perez , JLSA Member

14 “We reached out to lots of local vendors. We strongly believe in shopping local and supporting our fellow entrepreneurs, so we tried to have all local merchants," said Brooke.

Above all, Fall Fest was intended to be an event that supports childhood mental wellness and JLSA’s Paving New Paths Centennial Campaign, which, among other things, aims to raise funds for a grant to provide the Clarity Child Guidance Center with a state-of-the-art education center to train the next generation of caregivers. For more information about the centennial campaign, visit jlsa.org.