BROOKINGS It’s going to be another big weekend in Brookings as a crowd of thousands is expected to fill downtown on Saturday for the Fall Classic a festival of food, crafts, music, a movie and Jackrabbit football.
This event is a great representation of downtown in the fall,” Ainsley Bennett, event coordinator for the Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce, told the Brookings Register.
The Fall Classic is a collaboration between the chamber and Downtown Brookings. The organizations had separate events for several years that shared similar dates on the calendar, which was the impetus for joining forces this year into a single, popular event.
They both happen at about the same time and happen on the same street, so we thought, Why not combine them and make one big fun festival event that will last the whole day long, Kirsten Gjesdal, executive director of Downtown Brookings, said.
The festival portion runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and includes the Brookings Farmers Market from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fourth Street, a host of other activities such as vendor and activity booths and free pumpkin painting and a showing of the 1994 movie Little Giants at 1 p.m. on Main Avenue.
That was another fun thing with combining these events: That ability to do a community screening of a fun movie as part of the festival, Gjesdal said.
The football game watch party the undefeated Jacks are taking on Youngstown State kicks off at 5 p.m. on Main Avenue between Third and Fourth streets.
Its going to be (shown on) a giant screen trailer from Sideline Productions they help us get the trailer down there and have the game projected and stuff like that, Bennett said.
The big screen will also be used for the showing of the aforementioned Little Giants film.
Come on down
Gjesdal said while its hard to get an exact count after all, people come from every direction and theres four blocks closed off for the festivities she estimates that 6,000 to 7,000 guests will flock to the Fall Classic.
It is very well-attended. The Fall Classic usually even brings in more people than the Brookings Bonanza the summer one because we see a lot of students coming in with their friends and family members. Its a lot of fun, she noted.
Gjesdal said there will be 40 street vendors, along with another 30 to 40 vendors at the farmers market. She added that shops and restaurants in the neighborhood will have special sales, fall activities, fall food samples and special menu items all of which she hopes encourages folks at the festival to hang around for the football watch party.
She also hopes the variety of activities will stoke the curiosity of football enthusiasts and bring them downtown earlier to enjoy the festival.
Sometimes people think when you have a festival downtown its just for families with young kids, but by combining it and doing the game and a movie and things like that, Im hoping that it will encourage people who maybe are just interested in the game portion to come down an hour or two early, Gjesdal said.
Bennett noted that two vendors Cubbys Sports Bar & Grill and Skinners Pub will be present with booths during the game to serve people who might be more interested in the night life angle.
That said, she also pointed out that special attention was given to making the football watch party more family friendly.
Pulling in Kirstens elements from the fall festival, were seeing different people that may not have originally come to the watch party, Bennett said. Also, being in the middle of the school year, we have the SDSU students drawn to it I think everybody in Brookings is a big Jacks fan. Being able to reach all ages, demographics, community members (and) visitors alike really is what the draw is and what my favorite part about it is.
Youll see donkeys (really)
Gjesdal said the most unique thing at the Fall Classic will be a fundraiser by The Salvation Army involving water bottle-bearing donkeys.
They will literally be walking through the street with one or two donkeys that carry packs on their backs (filled with) water bottles, she said. They’re just selling water bottles out of the back of their donkeys packs, and its going to be so fun.
In prior festivals, The Salvation Army has had a petting zoo, so this is a different approach to holding a fundraiser while at the same time helping to keep people hydrated.
Meanwhile, Ainsley mentioned a very fall-like activity in the form of free pumpkin painting.
That just screams very fall to me thats an activity for all ages; anybody will do it. Ill be there likely doing it as well, she said, and added, Theres so much to do theres different activities for all ages; anybody can come and participate for free, and I think thats great.
Gjesdal is hoping for an all in approach among vendors and businesses as well.
We encourage our vendors and businesses in the area to really get into the spirit, she said. Have fall decorations, sell fall items, put something on your menu that incorporates the season. We love to see people really lean into that and do something fun.
Beyond that, volunteers are being sought as well, especially with pumpkin painting; details are available at DowntownBrookings.com.
In closing, Bennett said shes anticipating a great time at Saturdays Fall Classic.
Were really looking forward to people coming out and celebrating the fall season, downtown Brookings, showing their Jacks pride, she said. I think its a great combination and its been so fun working with Kirsten, being able to combine efforts from both the Chamber side and the Downtown Brookings side.
Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].
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