Goodwill and Indiana Dinosaur Museum bring fall to life and engage with community during Harvest Fest

On the weekend of October 10, Goodwill brought tricks, treats, and triassic treasures to the Indiana Dinosaur Museum during Goodwill Days at Harvest Fest. Goodwill supported the event with plenty of fun activities, including a Halloween pop up shop, DIY scarecrow kits, and photo opportunities with the Scare-a-Crow-SAURUS.

Harvest Fest at the Indiana Dinosaur Museum encourages families to come enjoy fall-inspired fun in their community. Through its partnership with Goodwill, the museum is able to give back to the families who visited the museum, encourage new visitors to check out the museum, and highlight the programs available right in South Bend that help uplift the community.

“The museum is a big part of our community, and we’re big community partners,” Goodwill Chief Operating Officer Doug Dillman said. “We have all kinds of fun happening here – a Halloween pop up shop to outfit the entire family, build your own scarecrow kits, and a lot of Goodwill crafted items, like charcuterie and cutting boards.”

One particular activity that proved to be a crowd favorite was the sea glass excavation. Families could have an archaeological experience of their own as they worked to uncover dinosaurs hidden among recycled glass. Goodwill has found a way to keep glass from our landfills, by putting it through a tumbling process to become decorative ‘sea glass’.

“The kids can actually come in, dig through the ‘sea glass’, and try to find some dinosaurs,” Dillman said. “When they finish, they’ll be able to take some of the ‘sea glass’ and dinosaurs home with them in a small treasure chest. It’s really cool to see so much fun come from recycled glass!”

Goodwill representatives were also available for community members hoping to learn more about Goodwill’s programs at the on-site mission booths. Goodwill supports the community with a wide range of services that empower people to achieve their most abundant life. Programming like the Excel Center , the Academy, Nurse-Family Partnership support growth and learning in a welcoming, supportive environment while its community services such as the Stand Down events connect veterans with free, local resources.

“Everyone sees the retail part of our business, but we’re not just a store. We’re so much bigger than that,” Dillman said. “We do so much for our community; it’s one of our biggest values. We love being part of community events like this, and we love being partners with organizations in the community.”

The connection to the community drew the Indiana Dinosaur Museum to Goodwill when seeking partners for Harvest Fest.

“We are very much about giving back to the community, including everyone doing everything local,” Jennifer Small, director of marketing and events at the Indiana Dinosaur Museum, said. “We partnered with Goodwill this year to highlight them and support the community while also having a great fall festival.”

Harvest Fest’s impact could be seen immediately as kids explored the event with smiles on their faces. It was an infectious joy that spread to their families and event organizers.

“The kids walk in, and you see them brighten up right away,” Dillman said.

“They’re running around like crazy with pumpkins and scarecrows and everything,” Small added. “It feels just like how fall should be.”

If you missed the pop-up Halloween store during Goodwill Days, don’t fret! Visit your local Goodwill retail store to discover scary good deals on everything from makeup and costumes to props, accessories, and anything else you might need to complete your Halloween look. 

To learn more about Goodwill and the work it’s doing in the community, visit goodwill-ni.org.