The Francesville Fall Festival brings together the community for a weekend of family fun

With summer winding down, fall festivities are beginning in full swing. Celebrating “a small town with a big heart,” the annual Francesville Fall Festival kicked off this fall season with a weekend full of fun for the whole family, at little to no cost.

From September 18-20, the streets of downtown Francesville were filled with vendors, activities, carnival rides, and live entertainment. Admission was free, and all proceeds were used to support next year’s festival and other community projects. Arts, crafts, and flea market vendors were available for attendees to enjoy and purchase, along with a variety of food vendors. Local organizations were also sponsoring full meals, including a fish and chicken dinner and a pancake breakfast.

“We want to offer all festival-goers the opportunity to attend a free, family-friendly event,” said Festival Committee member Nanci Gutwein. “This festival helps showcase everything that Francesville has to offer—’A small town with a big heart.’”

Gutwein has been a member of the committee for three years and has attended the festival for 48 years, proudly never missing one. When Gutwein joined the committee board, she introduced the beer and bingo event on Friday night and promoted a beer garden with live music. Gutwein enjoys live music and socializing during the festival weekend, and her favorite activities include the 5K and mini-sprint triathlon.

Other events during the weekend included a parade Saturday afternoon, a spectacular firework show Saturday evening, and the 42nd annual car show Sunday afternoon. Throughout the weekend, there were also activities for all ages to participate in and enjoy. Events and activities included regular and chicken bingo, line dancing, a bake sale contest and auction, a cornhole tournament, a family ‘fun run’, and more. Free popcorn, sponsored by Alliance Bank, was available for visitors as well.

“Francesville is a very Christ-centered community, so we have always had many wholesome activities on the schedule,” Gutwein said.

President of the Festival Committee Joey Schlatter has been attending the festival since he was a child, and he can’t remember a single festival he has missed. For Schlatter, the festival also acts as an unofficial homecoming, and he enjoys being able to see friends and family who return to the area for the festival.

“It is a time to come together, listen to music together at a concert, share a conversation with someone you don’t talk to regularly at the Fish Fry, or see a neighbor’s grandkids riding the rides,” Schlatter said.

Schlatter also emphasized the importance of the festival for nonprofits in the area, as this weekend is a major part of fundraising for them. The fire department hosted a fish fry and ring toss, and the local nursery school hosted a pancake breakfast for outreach and fundraising. This year, there was also local disaster relief selling food to fundraise.

Planning is year-round for this event, with the work becoming more hands-on in April as the committee begins lining up events for September. There are around eight people who work together year-round on putting together the festival, and over a dozen volunteers who help as well. Gutwein said that there is always someone willing to step up.

Schlatter spoke more about what he hopes attendees will take away from the weekend.

“Community, and being a part of something special,” Schlatter said. “The festival is not a money maker for the committee; we have a large number of generous sponsors that put together as many free events as possible.”

While the festival was celebrating its 58th anniversary, it was also honoring America’s 250th birthday with the theme of “American 250!” On display was the VAU Fallen Heroes Memorial, made up of over 7,000 dog tags that create an image of the American flag. The replica dog tags are of soldiers killed in action since September 11, 2001, for the global War on Terror, and was built and funded by veterans.

Another way the festival celebrated America’s birthday was by having businesses, groups, and individuals decorate and place tiles on a board to create a large American flag that will be displayed in town for years to come.

For the future of the festival, Schlatter said their goal is to continue moving forward.

“Being in a small town is hard, and the small-town USA is dying. Towns are getting smaller, rural schools are getting smaller, and that strain spreads, so we must adapt to change, while keeping our small-town charm,” Schlatter said.

To learn more about the Fall Festival and stay updated with future events, visit francesvillefallfestival.com.