The Evolution of the CFES Fall Fest

Over the years, the fall festival held by the generous PTO members of Chadds Ford Elementary school has changed in both location and activities. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival was held annually at the elementary school field. The event featured unique activities such as “Dunk Mr. D,” where students had the opportunity to dunk the principal in a dunk tank, face painting, and stations where students could temporarily dye their hair. If any of these did not interest the students, they were also permitted to engage in a game of basketball, commence a kickball game, play some gaga ball, or even just play on the playground.

During the pandemic, however, the students of Chadds Ford lost the festival aimed to highlight the beauty of fall and togetherness. As a result, the children during this time needed a fun, schoolwide activity to rekindle their connections after being separated from their friends. To accomplish this, the location changed and so did the activities. Ramsey’s Farm was a good place to move to because it had real pumpkin patches and lots of space for big activities. There were many new attractions at the farm such as the bouncy castle, multiple trails to roam, a s’mores pit, the cornfield maze, and the hay ride. There, middle school club members also took photos for the school yearbook. These new changes to the fall festival have changed how we connect with our community through different activities and experiences.