The First Fall Fest

It might have felt like summer only a few weeks ago, but despite 80 degree weather in the middle of October, it is indeed fall, and Delafield has a new festival to prove it. The first annual Fall Fest, put on by the Delafield Chamber of Commerce, is October 28 in downtown Delafield, and it’s packed with fall activities for everyone, including hayrides, craft beer tasting, trick-or-treating and the iconic Grand Pumpkin Illumination.

While this is the 11th Grand Pumpkin Illumination, Fall Fest adds live music, a kids zone and the chili cook off to the festivities this year. You get to taste chili from over 20 area restaurants, businesses and individuals, and our very own executive chef Joe Heppe is competing in the First Annual Delafield Chamber Fall Fest Chili Cook Off with his Wild Boar Chili Chili Bang Bang. There are three categories: Best in Show, judged on booth display, colors, costumes and originality; People’s Choice, based on the number of votes from attendees *cough vote for Joe’s chili cough*; and Critic’s Choice, which is judged by committee members. So, if you’re looking for a little spice this Saturday, stop by and meet Joe and try his one-of-a-kind chili.

After you finish trying all that chili, you can head to the sampling tent to wash it down with craft beer from local breweries while you listen to live music from Charlie Wiggins Music and The Cheap Shots. If you have kids in tow, take them to the kids zone for laser tag, a rock wall, the Lake Country Fire and Rescue and more before trick-or-treating at the downtown businesses.

By the time trick-or-treating is over and you finish stuffing yourself with chili, it’ll be time to join the rest of the Fall Fest attendees in watching pumpkins come to life at Clock Tower Square at 7 p.m. Children from area schools carve hundreds of pumpkins for the Grand Pumpkin Illumination, which we’re sponsoring along with The Delafield Hotel and be FITNESS, and there’s an extravagant light and music show that leads up to the pumpkin lighting. The Grand Pumpkin Illumination doesn’t end the night, though. The party’s just getting started! Fall Fest goes until 10 p.m.

Between the chili cook off, hayrides, the kids zone, trick-or-treating and the Grand Pumpkin Illumination, this is going to be a great first Fall Fest. Chef Joe’s chili is going to blow your mind and that in itself is worth a trip to Fall Fest, if we do say so ourselves.

For more information on Fall Fest and the day’s events, check out Visit Delafield’s website