Small town traditions are beloved by generations. In Newman this includes the annual Newman Fall Festival held every Labor Day Weekend. The celebration includes many events that people look forward to each year; ranging from carnival rides and fair foods, to the Miss Newman pageant and parade. Some past activities have included bike races, basketball tournaments, and even a tomato stomp. Each year the festival is hosted by the Newman Fall Festival committee; a nonprofit organization comprised of volunteers that plan, organize, and host the event for the community.
Current NFF president, Christine Eddington, along with fellow current board members need more help if this traditional festival will continue.
“We’ve come to a decision as a board that we need more people to step up to continue this event,” Eddington stated. “Our board members have pulled double duty as committee chairs in addition to their board positions and we need more people to take the lead and lighten the load,” Eddington urged. “If we don’t, the board is prepared to pause the Fall Festival this year and make the tough decision to potentially dissolve the organization.”
A public community meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 18 at 6 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room located behind the police station. All interested in helping need to contact the committee by e-mail (office@newmanfallfestival.org) prior to the meeting or attend the meeting in person to commit to helping organize specific events.
“The NFF is in a healthy financial state,” Eddington reassured. “We just need more community members to step up and help take on more leadership roles.”
There are plenty of people who have offered their help and manpower, which has been great, but the leadership roles have been either vacated or need additional help. “Anybody can step up and help whomever wants to help. If there are groups who want to take over parts of the festival and engage their own members, they are encouraged to do so,” Eddington stated. A breakdown of areas needed are:
Pageant Chairman (coordinates all of the aspects of the Miss Newman pageant)
Parade Chairman (coordinates all of the parade aspects)
Booths Chairman (coordinates all of the booths at the park including food booths, arts and crafts, and informational and promotional)
Entertainment Chairman (coordinates all of the stage activities and entertainment)
Sponsorship Coordinator (contacts and recruits support from sponsors for the weekend)
Evening Under The Stars Chairman (coordinates the main fundraising event with sponsors, catering, and auction)
If you need more information about specific duties for these roles, reach out to the board via their e-mail.
“We have always had a great group of volunteers to head activities and help lead portions of the weekend,” Eddington said. “If people have an idea that they want to lead, we try to support them in whatever way they need.” For example, when someone wanted to host a Corn Hole Tournament, they took on the responsibility to run the event under the umbrella of the committee. “These volunteers have been great bringing ideas to the weekend and adding things for people to do. They are appreciated and we hope they continue to come forward and lead events,” Eddington added. “Newman has grown and this event has grown to need more manpower to make it run smoother for all involved.”
The NFF Board Members will make a decision about the fate of the 2025 Fall Festival based on the response to the meeting held in March. If you or someone you know is willing to join the team and lead one of the main events, contact Christine Eddington at office@newmanfallfestival.org and/or attend the community meeting on March 18th at 6pm in the Community Meeting Room located behind the police station. With the help of this great community, we can keep this tradition alive.
