This year, Fallfest, Rock Hall’s old-time, fun-for-all down-home festival will take place on September 25. And everyone’s welcome.
Fallfest was an idea created by Tom McHugh and his Mainstay gang 13 years ago. Sitting one day with co-founder, Jane Hackett, they discussed the idea of a family-oriented festival, of modest size, featuring three ingredients: Good music, good food, and good homemade crafts. A committee was formed, just a total of about ten people, and Fallfest took off.
A typical Fallfest celebration begins in the late morning, always on a Saturday, and winds up about 5PM. Picture this: two music stages, presenting over ten or fifteen musical groups, Main Street and the big field lined with 60 craft booths, funnel cakes, hot dogs, pit beef from the Legion, those huge fish sandwiches from one of our African American churches, and of course, the biggest draw of the festival: The Catonsville (High School) Steel Band just knocking the socks off the crowd gathered on lawn chairs. Each year Rock Hall Fallfest draws about 4,000 to 5,000 people, and the committee would love to see it stay at that level.
“Small and intimate is what we aim for” says McHugh. “Everywhere you walk you’ll run into neighbors, friends, and new arrivals who often are being exposed to Rock Hall for the first time…and we think Fallfest is a great entry for them.”
Behind The Mainstay there is all-day fun for children at Kids Kourt…pony rides, slides, food, clowns, jugglers, face painting. And young kids can participate in a running race, just for them, called FunRun…now in its tenth year. Peggy Voorhees, the founder, calls it a great beginning for young kids in running…a “relaxed mile” of exercise. And kids get medals, shirts, the works — plus a Durding’s ice cream cone.
Rock Hall Fallest is entirely supported by donations. Each year the committee goes out to raise the money. About $15,000 is needed to run the whole show. The money comes in, then the money goes out to pay for services, music, advertising, etc. At the end, the coffers hold about $3,000, so each year is a new effort. But it works! Simple, clean, a small but efficient committee aimed at providing Rock Hall and Kent County with a day of old-time family fun. FallFest is alcohol-free, but all of our local bars and restaurants are open and look forward to your patronage!
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