Fall and Winter Festival Ideas

Fall and Winter Carnivals

Leaves changing, cold weather moving in and snow beginning to fall; these are all signs that winter is near. Don’t get depressed thinking about it when you can create fun ways to celebrate the changing seasons. Many times your school or church organization needs a way to raise money for equipment or trips and what a great way to bring life to the community by holding a carnival appropriate for the season.

Theme and Decorations

First you will want to create a theme, but this shouldn’t be difficult since there are many different props that can be used. Fall produces many pumpkins so why not hold a pumpkin festival? Make the environment fun and inviting by decorating with hay bales and pumpkins. Fall colors such as orange, deep red and brown are great colors to mix into the theme. Add a mixture of apples and call it an orchard fest!

Location and Attractions

Pick a venue that will accommodate the amount of attractions you want to feature. If it is a fundraiser you are looking to host, then perhaps you will want to charge an admission fee. Try and feature an equal share of indoor and outdoor activities to make the most use of the space and don’t forget fall food favorites like turkey legs, hot chocolate and kettle corn!

Some fun activities may include:

Pumpkin or Gourd Decorating Contest

A perfect way to raise money! Kids can purchase the pumpkin or gourd of their choice and then go to a fun table filled with paints and glitter to begin making their creation. Placing the finished items on display in such a place as a stage will not only make them feel proud for what they have done, but it will be an easy way to judge the contest. Judging can be performed by the general public or a specified group of volunteers. Gift cards and dollar store items make great gifts. Soliciting from area businesses can also be another way of gaining prizes.

Arts & Crafts Booth

Everyone knows that arts and crafts can be a fun way for children to show off their creativity. Offer the children a variety of leaves to choose from and let them decorate the leaves with paints and glitters. Provide scraps of construction paper, paper plates, crayons, markers and safety scissors, allowing their imaginations to flow with creativity.

Photo Booth

There is no better way to make fun and lasting memories than with photos! Offer silly props and colorful backdrops to make this attraction exciting and enjoyable. The initial photo booth can be free, but offer the final pictures for a small fee. Selling accessories such as frames or albums would be another great way to add to the fun while raising money for that field trip.

Snowman Contest

If the climate allows, feature a snowman contest by providing a large area of participation and a time frame. Offer a variety of fun props to add to the snowman and when time is up everyone must stop the task and wait for judging. Once again, a selected group of volunteers can be chosen for judging and fun prizes should be handed out to participants.

Ice Fishing Contest

Another fun contest that can be performed in a real lake filled with real fish for adults, or a swimming pool filled with toy fish for children. The goal of this competition can vary according to size or amount of fish caught within a certain amount of time.

Whatever theme or event you choose, remember that people will also be attracted to musical events as well as plenty of seasonal foods and warm drinks. Start advertising at least one month in advance by using colorful banners and fliers. Scout the community for donations of prizes. Use colorful signs above each booth and add balloons for an additional feature. Have fun and stay warm!

Bio -

This guest post is courtesy of SignMission, a custom sign company based in Florida. SignMission has a variety of products including kettle corn banners, gourd banners and hot chocolate banners.