Community Corner

Lower Providence Fall Festival—the Best Yet?

The Lower Providence township annual Fall Festival filled the Township complex with food, fun, hayrides, other treats.

Written by Community Editor Nicole Foulke


Lower Providence township’s yearly Fall Festival was spread across the Township complex on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a petting zoo, first responder vehicles for kids to explore, a ‘punkin chunkin’ machine, local business booths,  a ‘Best of Lower Providence’ contest, hayrides, and more.

After visitors parked they first came across the ‘punkin chunkin’ machine and a Lower Providence police SUV whose lights flashed festively. The machine was next to a modified school bus and a vehicle that looked like a pumpkin.

Kids were able to climb in and out of the police SUV, as well as a Lower Providence Fire Department fire truck, and Lower Providence EMS ambulances. First responders were there to help introduce the children to their vehicles.

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Visitors could then make their way through the rest of the festival that was spread throughout the complex—face-painting, root beer floats, a petting zoo, local business tents, inflatables for kids to jump on, and other fun things to explore.

“We had a great festival, with one of the biggest turnouts,” said Denise Walsh, the township’s community relations coordinator, smiling and carrying a large pumpkin.

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Walsh said their inaugural Mascot Race, at which visitors could cheer for local business mascots as they ran a 50-yard dash, drew a nice crowd.

Mother Romi Koli said that she and her family were having fun at the festival. “We are enjoying so far—we just had the hayride…and then on to pet  the animals,” she said,” standing with her family by the free pony rides and the petting zoo where animal fans could politely pat goats, fancy chickens, a sheep, and a llama.

Local businesses came out for the day in tents, and visitors were introduced to local food and crafts that they might not have known of.

Lisa McDonald, the owner of the Audubon business Sweet Treats by Lisa, an online-based cupcake and cake bakery, said that they have come to the festival for several years to set up a booth. “This is a great way to come and get some exposure,” she said.

“They’ve done a really good job growing it and supporting the local vendors,” said her husband, Brian McDonald.

The Pennsylvania Freemasons’ local sixth district brought a small truck and stand where they helped parents to participate in their program that they say helps law enforcement if a child goes missing.  

When parents and their children participate in their Child Identification Program (CHIP), the freemasons take video and audio of the child and put it on a disc that they give to parents, who themselves can give to law enforcement to run in their vehicles to help in their child’s AMBER alert, said freemason Ben Marino.

Marino explained that the kit also includes non-invasive ways for parents to collect DNA from a child, such as nail clippings.

But this was not the whole of the Fall Festival.

Judges were on hand to determine the outcome of the ‘Best of Lower Providence’ contest, which made the determination of the ‘best cheesesteak,’ the ‘best pizza’ and the ‘best specialty sandwich, wrote Tim O’Connell in an email to Patch.com. O’Connell is vice president of the Lower Providence Historical Society, which sponsored the contest.

Contest profits will help the Lower Providence Historical Society to preserve the historic Casselberry house in Lower Providence.

The competitors were Tosco Pizza and Italian Restaurant of Trooper, Tony's Pizza of Audubon, Collegeville Italian Bakery of Lower Providence, Main St. Pizzeria of Eagleville,

The judges included Lower Providence police chief Francis “Bud” Carroll, The Times Herald editor Stan Huskey, District Justice Cathleen Kelly Rebar and state rep. Mike Vereb.

The winners were: Collegeville Italian Deli (‘best cheesesteak’); Main St. Pizza of Eagleville (‘best pizza’); Collegeville Italian Bakery (‘best specialty sandwich’).

 

 


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