Chamber's 18th Fall Fest is Saturday, Oct. 11

The Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce is making final preparations for the 18th-annual Fall Fest, providing visitors to Holton’s Town Square next Saturday, Oct. 11, with a good mix of fall activities, arts and crafts vendors and, of course, chili.

“Fall Fest is coming along nicely,” said chamber director Ashlee York of this year’s event. “We have about 50 vendors signed up, and many of them are going to offer artisan and homemade items.”

There’s room for more arts and crafts vendors for this year’s event, said York, who noted that visitors to the Square that day can also expect such activities as a glass-blowing demonstration from April Lemon of More Than Lemons, tours of the Jackson County Museum from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a hot pepper-eating contest hosted by Third Eye Piper at 1:30 p.m. and carriage rides offered by Tim Unrein from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The smell of chili will also be in the air around the Square, where the Chamber is hosting the 26th-annual Chili Cook-Off in conjunction with Fall Fest. York said area cooks are welcome to bring five gallons of their best chili recipe to the Square for the annual event, which will include awards for People’s Choice, Judges’ Choice and Most Creative Site; there is a $5 registration fee per batch of chili in the contest.

The festival’s annual scarecrow decorating contest will also be back this year, and for a $5 registration fee, scarecrow artists are invited to put up an exhibit that will also be judged for a prize, it was reported.

Vendors are invited to start setting up on the Jackson County Courtyard at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11, and have their booths in place by 9 a.m. Scarecrows should also be set up on the Courtyard by that time, which is also when registration for the Chili Cook-Off will begin.

Cooks participating in the Chili Cook-Off must have their entries ready for judging by 10:45 a.m., and chili will be judged starting at 11 a.m., when visitors to the Square may pick up bags for sampling chili for $5 inside the Courthouse. Chili cooks will also have bowls available for those who would like a full bowl.

Chili sampling bags will also have tickets for voting in the “People’s Choice” contest, and voting in that contest is scheduled to end by 1 p.m. or when all the chili has been served.

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