Faribault Fall Festival a Success

On Saturday afternoon, downtown Faribault was buzzing with activity! The Faribault Fire Department hosted an open house starting at 10AM, and after that was the annual Faribault Main Street Chili Contest and Fall Festival. 

The event began with a large group of kids and parents marching down Central Avenue in a costume and bike parade. At the end of the parade was a wide array of children's activities. Kids were able to color pages, make cards, have their faces painted, bowl, try a duck pond, create a chalk masterpiece, do a bean bag toss, face in hole picture opportunities, paint a pumpkins and more! Additionally there were Spooky Basement Tours at the Paradise Center for the Arts, which executive directer Carter Martin called "Scooby Doo level fright," saying it was kid friendly. More than 20 downtown businesses had balloons on their doors indicating that they welcomed kids to trick or treat. For kids that had pedaled to the festival, there was a bike corral offering safe bike parking for the day, and bike check ups.

The day included three not to be missed unicycle shows, which demonstrated the skill and athleticism needed for such an activity. The group featured the various types of unicycles with a brief explanation, and put on group and individual routines that were fun to watch. For those who preferred the culinary delights, there were more than 15 types of chili to be sampled, ranging from mild to vegetarian to super hot. Ryan Knott took home the trophy for the best chili, as voted on by everyone who sampled.

The weather was perfect, adding to a great day, organized by a great group of volunteers, in downtown Faribault!