Chatfield College Hosts Successful Fall Festival

Chatfield College’s St. Martin campus hosted a Fall Festival featuring the Quilt, Craft, and Car Show on Saturday, October 19. The Quilt, Craft, and Car Show has long been a community favorite but the effort to include more family-friendly activities is what made this event different from years past. Hundreds of people came out to Chatfield’s historic and bucolic campus located in Brown County, some for the first time and some from many miles away.

“We were very impressed with the community turnout on this beautiful day. After months of planning, it was rewarding to see all those plans come to fruition and everyone enjoying themselves. When planning an event like this, you never know what to expect,” said Brianna Houchens, marketing director for the college and coordinator of the event.

Families enjoyed free carriage rides courtesy of First State Bank, hayrides, games, pumpkin painting, kids’ crafts, games, a trunk or treat, campus tours, Halloween costume contest, live music, a book sale, and chili cookoff. There were also more than 35 crafts booths for guests to view and make purchases. Chatfield’s Student Service Club, or CSSC, oversaw planning and staffing of the children’s activities.  CSSC also sponsored the chili cookoff, and will use the proceeds to fund student activities at Chatfield this spring.

“It is wonderful to see the students take ownership of this event and get involved. Not only did we have several student volunteers and alumni participate in the event, but you could see the enjoyment these students got from working with the community,” said David Hesson, Chatfield’s St. Martin site director and staff advisor of CSSC.

The festival featured 85 cars and bikes in the Classic Car and Bike Show. The Best of Show award was given to Chatfield student Allen Simes for his 2014 Chevy Corvette. Plaques for Top 25 and several special categories were also awarded.  As a bonus, car show participants were able to participate in the festival trunk or treat event and passed out candy to dozens of children dressed in costumes.

More than 50 quilts entered in this year’s quilt show.  For the log cabin style theme quilt division, Donna Ayers won the hand quilted wall hanging award, while Chatfield graduate and long-time staff member Cheryl Kern won for her machine quilted bed quilt. Nancy Lowe-Goerlich took first place in the wall hanging machine quilted and Mary Daulton’s bed quilt hand quilted also received a ribbon. Viewer’s Choice awards went to Jean Covert for both bed quilt and wall hanging hand quilted.  For bed quilt machine quilted, Laura Loftin won with a quilt made by Lisa Hardesty.  Goerlich also received a ribbon for her machine quilted wall hanging. Finally, a beautiful log cabin quilt, created by Lisa Hardesty, was also raffled the day of the show and won by Joan Burwinkel Engel.

“We hope to keep growing this event. We already have many plans for next year and can’t wait to make it better each year,” said Houchens.

The fall festival was sponsored by Peoples Bank, Western & Southern Financial Fund, B105, Croswell, Milacron, First State Bank, Colonial Post and Fence, Fayetteville Hardware, ComDoc, Mary Ellen Betz, Ann E. Schulte, and Collett Propane. Chatfield plans to hold this event again next year on October 17, 2020. For information about sponsorship, please contact Development Director Kelly Watson at Kelly.watson@chatfield.edu