While fall didn’t officially start until Sept. 22, Voorhees started the season early with the Fifth Annual Voorhees Fall Festival on Saturday, Sept. 15
Voorhees Town Center Marketing Manager Jessica Saphire described the event as more of a family attraction. The main focus when developing the festival was to think about activities for the family along with ways to promote the malls existence.
Stratford resident Leslie Szafranski and her daughter Devon, 6, were looking for something to do when they came across the festival. It was a relaxing day away from sports and school activities that brought Szafranski to the Town Center.
“[We] were just looking for something to do one this beautiful day,” said Szafranski.
Devon loves animals. She kept drifting back to the two guinea pigs that were sitting under an umbrella. She pointed to her favorite guinea pig and said that her dog that recently passed, but there were plenty of animals to look at in the petting zoo area.
Sectioned off for the farmers market, people walked back and forth, listening to the Stone Mountain Road Band, a Southern New Jersey, based five-piece bluegrass band.
Every year for five years, the Voorhees Town Center hosts the fall festival for family enjoyment. Saphire said adding more family entertainment and fewer farmer’s market vendors helps create a transition from the summer farmers market experience to the fall festivities.
A horse-drawn Conestoga Wagon ride, balloon artist, the petting zoo, blue grass music and a “high noon” pie eating contest for children ages 5 to 7 and 8 to 12 added to the fall festival experience, but the activities didn’t stop there.
According to Saphire, the businesses inside of the mall were more involved this year than last year. The activities were not limited to outside. Saphire said preparation for gloomy weather was planned ahead of time.
Outside of Boscov’s, red rope blocked off a section for square dancing and music by Square Dance Caller Glenn Matthew and the Square Dance Calling and Instructions members. In front of Macy’s, there was face painting by Rizzieri Nails, Snow White Apples and craft-making hosted by the Bayada Nurses and a preview of clips from “Snow White and the Huntsman” to go along with Rizzzieri’s free nail polish change — the first 50 women received a “Queen Ravenna Red” polish change.
Back outside near the petting zoo, children continued to gather around the pen. Gravitating toward the feed, children dipped their hands in the bucket and walked over to an animal of choice.
Niko, 8, and Christo DiGango, 6, just arrived at the festival from their morning soccer game. The boys both live in Voorhees and their grandparents were taking them to see the animals.
The brothers enjoyed petting the cow and feeding one of the goats.
Many parents attending the event mentioned they would bring their children back next year.
“There is too much to do. We always have craft tables and interactive [activities],” Saphire said.
