“All I can say is, ‘WOW!'”
That’s how Habersham County E-911 Director Lynn Smith summed up her reaction to the huge turnout Thursday night for the 911 center’s 16th annual Children’s Fun Fest.
Approximately 9,500 people turned out for the Oct. 19 event at the Habersham County Fairgrounds in Clarkesville.
A festival of fun and of firsts
Children and adults got a jump start on their Halloween candy haul at dozens of booths manned inside the fairgrounds pavilion. Public safety personnel and business owners spent hours decorating the booths and setting up displays. They greeted the thousands of children and parents with smiles and handfuls of treats.
Over 100 vendors participated, some for the first time. Surcheros Mexican restaurant of Cornelia was among the newcomers.
“Getting involved with the community, that’s why I do it. That’s where my heart is,” said Surcheros General Manager Jennifer Higgins. “I try to get involved as much as possible.”
Public safety employees from nearly every city and agency in the county participated this year. Baldwin-based Air Life Georgia 2 gave festivalgoers a close-up look at the medical chopper. There were also fire trucks, police cars, and one vehicle that stood out from the rest.
The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile made its debut appearance at this year’s E-911 Fun Fest. Director Smith has been trying for years to get it here but it was never available.
This year, it was.
In another first this year, nearly 40 nursing students from Piedmont University volunteered their time to help set up and run the festival.
“I think it’s really cool. It’s a good opportunity for us to get into the community and get to help. It’s something we don’t get to do often,” said nursing student Taylor Buckner.
Habersham County native Josh Farmer brought his kids all the way from Melbourne, Florida. They already had plans to visit the area this week and added the Fun Fest to their itinerary.
Already getting ready for next year
As much as the Fun Fest is about fun, it’s also about good public relations. Habersham County E-911 started this annual tradition in the early 2000s as a community outreach. Smith and her staff wanted the public, especially children, to get to know them and other public safety workers in a fun, friendly environment.
That first year, Habersham County E-911 welcomed 175 children to its operations center off Chase Road in Cornelia. Sixteen years in, it is now one of the most heavily attended annual events in the county.
Smith says it takes about a year to plan these events. They’re already working on next year. One thing that’s already decided is the date. Fun Fest organizers are intentional about not letting their event interfere with other favorite falltime activities in Habersham. That’s why they hold their event on the third Thursday in October each year.
