FACE PAINTING … Among the activities at the Stryker Fall Fest was face painting in which this youngster is getting her face painted by The Painted Gypsies.
PHOTOS BY JOHN FRYMAN / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
TRAIN RIDE … This young boy shows his own excitement getting ready to take a miniature train ride at the Stryker Fall Fest on Saturday, November 1 at Springfield Park.
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
On a cool, but perfect fall afternoon, residents of Stryker took part in its own Fall Fest which took place at Springfield Park on Saturday, November 1.
The afternoon festivities began with a parade taking place on Defiance Street led by the Stryker Police Department and Springfield Township Fire Department along with several other entries.
“We’ve always done a little bit of some community engagement,” said Derrick Potter, who helped organize the Fall Fest and is also a village councilman.
Potter said there were quite a few people who had reached out and asked him to put something together for the community such as the Fall Fest.
“This event was specifically put on by the Stryker Chamber of Commerce,” he said. “They’re defunct right now and not really operating. This is a way for me to legally have an event and be on the council at the same time.”
Potter, a Stryker High School graduate, had moved back into town four years ago from Indianapolis, Indiana and came back home to roost.
He used his own background in high level project management and felt it was a good fit for the community to have a festival.
“I cross-referenced those skills I have learned over the years and into basically event organizing,” he commented.
“I have contacts and know a lot of people in the Stryker community and a lot of different business owners. I was just in a good position to kind of make all of those things come together.”
He also thanked all of those businesses from Stryker, Bryan, and Archbold for being sponsors of the Fall Fest.
“Either way, we have a lot of business sponsors that helped put this all together,” said Potter.
In conjunction with the Fall Fest, residents enjoyed numerous activities, games, rides, food trucks, free hayrides, and face painting along with a Monster Truck ride.
There was also a free train ride for all the youngsters to enjoy leading up to the community-wide trick or treat activities being held later in the day.
“That’s what we do with all the sponsors and the donations for Fall Fest,” said Potter. “We try to make this a low cost, almost free event for people. The only thing we charge for is the Monster Truck rides for ten dollars.
Potter also thanked Derrick Short, Wes Short, Bruce Short, Gavin Labo, Chandler Lloyd, Jaxon Potter, Amy Lloyd, Will Donovan, Jennifer Potter and Victor Potter for all of their time and effort putting on the Fall Fest.