Celebrating the season

OTHELLO — The Greater Othello Chamber of Commerce’s Family Fall Festival Saturday drew hundreds of children and adults from the area to Othello City Hall for pumpkin painting, costumes, candy and more. 

This year was the Chamber’s first time putting on the event, and Wilhelm said it likely won’t be the last. 

“A lot of the vendors were saying, ‘Call me next year, when you do it again,’” Wilhelm said. “If the community wants me to bring it back, then we can definitely work on doing it again next year and seeing what we can include, see if we want to make it bigger and better.”

Wilhelm said the event’s turnout was very good — event organizers had to add two more tables at the pumpkin painting station to fit everyone — and that overall she received positive feedback from vendors who participated.

Ariandna Alvarado of iDesign said the business —which designs custom T-shirts and accessories — frequently participates in community events. Alvarado said the festival was a success with eventgoers engaging with the iDesign booth at the event.

“The fall festival, it was really good,” Alvarado said. “It was something new. We did see a lot of people. It was fun to see people out there. We always get good support from the community.”

Feedback from community members was also generally positive, both in-person at the event and after on social media, Wilhelm said.

“There were a few people I spoke to, and there was one gal who said it was so neat, ‘It's like the festival that you see on the movies,’” Wilhelm said. “There was another person who said they enjoyed how there were so many people dressed up and they wished that even more people would have dressed up.”

Even so, there were quite a few people in costumes at the event, Wilhelm said. The costume contest had more than 50 participants, which Mayor Shawn Logan helped judge alongside the pumpkin painting contest. 

“Obviously, we had a lot of kids dressed up,” she said. “There was a handful of adults that I also saw dressed up; some of those participated in the family costume contest, so that was fun. I would definitely like to see more people dressed up next year though … It's kind of neat to see everybody dressed up and in the spirit.”

The Trunk or Treat event at the festival also went well, Wilhelm said.

“Originally, we weren't planning to do a trunk or treat, but when I was working on the Fall Festival and reaching out to people, they were like, ‘Are you doing a trunk retreat? We'd love to do a trunk or treat,’” Wilhelm said. “it was a hit for sure.”

The event featured participation, sponsorship or donated prizes and giveaways from dozens of large and small businesses in Othello, from J.R. Simplot and Anytime Fitness both providing bikes as prizes for the festival’s contests to vendors like iDesign. 

“Without the businesses’ support and all those donations, the chamber could not have pulled it off,” Wilhelm said, “so definitely a huge thank you to all the businesses who help support us.”

Wilhelm said that overall the event ran smoothly.

“We had a lot of kid volunteers,” Wilhelm said. “I had high school helpers and middle school helpers, and they helped tremendously because I was able to put one board member at the pumpkins, and then all the helpers would check in with her … I think without the volunteers It wouldn't have happened. They helped it run smooth.”

Wilhelm commented on the event’s large turnout.

“The turnout shows us that it's a success, and the feedback of people enjoying themselves and staying in town, I feel like that is the biggest success,” Wilhelm said. “People saying ‘I can't wait until next year,’ that's definitely a highlight because it's showing the chamber that these things are wanted by our community.”

With that reassurance, the chamber can continue planning for the future. 

“I guess it feels like the chamber is helping fulfill that need of community events and togetherness for the city,” Wilhelm said. “I feel like with that festival and all the feedback that we got, we did just that, so it gives me motivation to continue to pursue more events like this throughout the year.”

Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com. Download the Columbia Basin Herald app on iOS and Android.

    Othello youth participate in the Trunk or Treat event at Saturday’s Family Fall Festival in front of Othello City Hall. Greater Othello Chamber of Commerce Manager Jackie Wilhelm said there were many Othello students who volunteered to help set up and run the event.
  

    Adams County Pet Rescue Board Member Tammy Foley and Othello resident Kim Bailey stand with children at the Trunk or Treat event during the Greater Othello Chamber of Commerce’s Family Fall Festival Saturday.
  

    Three youth costume contest winners stand on Main Street in Othello, which was blocked off for Saturday’s Family Fall Festival in front of Othello City Hall.