Fall may not be in the air just yet, but the spirit of it is as organizers are in their final days of preparation for the annual Newman Fall Festival.
Set for Labor Day weekend, the festival promises all the traditional favorites, including the parade, the carnival games and rides, tasty foods, live music and entertainment, pageantry and plenty of family-fun activities.
The Newman Fall Festival kicks off at 4 p.m. on Aug.30 at Pioneer Park. The rides will be rolling, the food frying and the fun will be flying. Additionally, attendees are encouraged to check out the numerous vendor and information booths that will be set up.
Also that night is the Evening Under the Stars fundraiser for the festival. It’s an evening of wine and micro-brew tastings, live and silent auctions, raffles, and delicious hors d'oeuvres. It is set from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Aug. 30 in the Downtown Plaza at 1328 Main St., in Newman.
Tickets for the Evening Under the Stars are $45 and are available through three ways: At Pizza Plus at 1420 Main St.; Newman Fall Festival Committee Members or Miss Newman Contestants (Cash or check payable to 'Newman Fall Festival' only); and Venmo @NewmanFallFestival for will-call (Please include "An Evening Under the Stars - [Name(s) of ticket holder(s)]" in the "What's this for?" section. No physical ticket will be issued).
The annual baking contest will be bringing in plenty of delicious smelling aromas on the morning of Aug. 31. At 9 a.m. submit delectable creations at the L.J. Newman Memorial Center at 649 Orestimba Road. Participants are invited to bring their best baked goods – cakes, coffee cakes, cookies, macaroons, bars, brownies, breads, muffins, pies and cobblers - to be judged. There also is a children’s division for those between 5 to 14 years old.
The volleyball tournament starts at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 31 at Densmore Park. Temas will be of two and four players and will be divided in upper and lower divisions. There will be prizes for first and second place teams.
All the activities at the festival will continue on Saturday with the culmination of the pageant for Miss Newman and Little Miss and Mr. Newman. The pageant will start at 6 p.m.
The festival gets underway again at 11 a.m. on Sept. 1 with the Newman Fall Festival parade through downtown Newman. The parade will be followed by the westside Auto Club car show at 12 p.m. on Sept. 1 at Pioneer Park. The cornhole tournament will start at 2 p.m. on Sept. 1 at Densmore Park. There will be three divisions – advanced, competitive and social and prizes for the top three teams in each division.
The festival wraps up on Monday with the annual softball tournament at 9 a.m. on Sept. 2 at Barrington Park.
The festival organizers are looking for a farm or ranch that has hay bales for seating and a way to deliver them to the park. Anyone able to help is asked to contact them at https://www.facebook.com/NewmanFallFestival.
