Family Fall Festival in Middletown will have lots of food trucks, contests and more

Pickles, a popular mini-pony at last year’s event, is back.
The City of Middletown will host the second-annual Family Fall Festival
from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. The event is free and open to the public. CONTRIBUTED

The City of Middletown will host the second-annual Family Fall Festival from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. The event is free and open to the public. CONTRIBUTED

The City of Middletown is gearing up for fun this autumn as the Family Fall Festival returns to Sunset Park. The event will feature live entertainment, more than 18 food trucks, a pie-eating contest, a hot sauce challenge, a DJ, a photo booth and more.

“This is our second annual Family Fall Festival. Our first event was held last year. It will be at Sunset Park,” said Jeri Lewis, community projects coordinator for the City of Middletown. “It was started out of a collaboration with the neighborhood at Sunset Park and it just exploded. This year, it’s even bigger. We have added a farmers’ market this year in collaboration with the farmers’ that have come all summer long. We’ll also have a Vendor’s Lane like we had last year, which will feature artisans and crafters.”

Another thing that’s been added is a Signature Photo Booth. Guests can get their photos taken and they will receive a free printed picture. Signature Photo Booth is bringing in a renovated 1940s camper. Inside the camper is the booth with fall-themed props.

There will be a pumpkin patch, where guests can purchase a pumpkin and paint it for free. The Kid’s Zone has been upgraded this year with bigger bounce houses, sack races, a ring toss, and other games.

“It’s exciting to see it all come together, and I love seeing the community come out to celebrate fall and have a day of family fun,” Lewis said.

Family Fall Festival will feature live entertainment throughout the day. BL DJ Services will begin playing music at noon. At 1:30 p.m. Live Past Life will perform, followed by juggler David Cain from “America’s Got Talent” at 2:15 p.m. At 3:30 p.m., Rick George Music will take the stage. Michael Williams from “American Idol” will headline the event at 4:15 p.m.

Other highlights throughout the day will include a pie-eating contest sponsored by Kroger at 1 p.m. and a hot-sauce challenge sponsored by Brent’s Smokin’ Butts & Grill at 3 p.m., featuring local celebrities. Plus, there will be a Jeep & Car Show with trunk-or-treating and a Kid’s Zone with Pumpkin Patch Painting, a petting zoo, a hayride and a mini pony named Pickles from Park View Rescue.

Pickles was so popular last year, they will be selling T-shirts that say, “I met Pickles at Fall Fest 2023.”

“When we came up with the idea for this, we really wanted to create a small-town. American festival feel,” Lewis said. “When you think of fall festivals in small-town America, you think of pie-eating contests, and other kinds of contests. When you think of small-town America, you also think of pumpkin patches, petting zoos and kid’s zones,” Lewis said.

Food trucks at this event include Brent’s Smokin’ Butts & Grill, Tacos Colima, Little Trolley Donuts, Cousins Maine Lobster, Luchy’s Kitchen, Eddie’s Roasted Corn, Hometown Swirls, Ralph’s Mystery Food, Vence Ding Asian, Cali-OH Eats and more.

Local vendors and a farmer’s market will provide plenty of shopping opportunities for guests.

The Premier Health Mobile Screening Unit and MidPointe’s Library on Wheels will also be on-site.

Last year, more than 2,000 people attended the festival, and the city is expecting a larger crowd this year. More than 27 volunteers will help throughout the day, including several volunteers from Hope House Mission.

“It couldn’t have gone better last year for our first Fall Festival. People loved it and they wanted it to come back this year,” Lewis said.


How to go

What: Middletown Family Fall Festival at Sunset Park

When: Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28

Where: Sunset Park, 2698 Milton Road, Middletown

Cost: Free

More info: facebook.com/MiddletownOhioEvents

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