Halloween Feast: South Euclid's Fall annual festival has music, games, food, and free pumpkins

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The City of South Euclid is preparing for its annual October Feast this Saturday, Oct. 26 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Bexley Park.

The Fall festival has been a regular tradition in the city since 2016, evolving from different Fall events into one large family-friendly day filled with music, food, contests, and activities for all ages.

“We started with an event called Pumpkins in the Park in 2016, where we set up a temporary pumpkin patch with donations from Giant Eagle,” Subwick explains. “Over time, we combined it with our Harvest Fest to create October Feast, which began in 2021.”

The South Euclid Giant Eagle continues to provide pumpkins, as does the South Euclid Marc’s, with each family getting one pumpkin (while supplies last). "They're great community partners," Subwick notes.

October Feast 2023October Feast 2023 Just like the city’s summer Rock the Block and South Euclid Food Truck Park programming, live music is a central feature of October Feast. Music this weekend includes The Polka Pirates, a recurring favorite, will play a little bit of everything—from all styles of polkas and waltzes to standards and Big Band, to Country, Irish and Rock and Roll—from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

The Perfect Choice Band, regarded as one of Northeast Ohio’s top wedding bands, performs from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

When attendees aren’t dancing, Subwick promises there are plenty of activities to choose from.

There are three contests, each one with a $250 cash prize for the winner: A Dog Costume Contest, a Human Costume Contest and a Stein Holding Contest.

“With the dog costumes, it's really fun because I think those are some of the funniest costumes that are out there,” Subwick says. For the humans, he says people can enter as individuals or with a group costume. “Last year, the family that won [went as] ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ and it was absolutely incredible costume.”

The Stein contest is only for the brave, however. “The Stein Holding Contest is particularly challenging—most people don't last more than a minute,” Subwick warns. “These contests are a lot of fun and very popular.”

Let's Play Mobile GamingLet's Play Mobile GamingOther entertainment options include a bubble performer, a face painter, a balloon artist, and inflatables. For gaming enthusiasts, the South Euclid resident Devaughn Jones’ Let’s Play Mobile Gaming truck will be on-site, offering different gaming systems for kids to enjoy, as well as Rob Jennings of Ohio Mobile Gaming’s rock climbing wall and heated tents with Fall themed displays for photo opportunities.

Indie Green Market is coordinating local vendors who will offer fall shopping, and Franks and Shakes and The Pierogi Lady food trucks are planning to serve their specialties.

A highlight of this year's October Feast will be the grand opening of the Bexley Park's concession stand. The city went on a search this past spring for the right operator who could serve healthy food options in the 500-square-foot concession stand within South Euclid’s largest park.

South Euclid officials fell in love with Chef Tynisa Acoff, aka “Chef T,” owner and head chef of Food with Purpose. Even though the concession stand is now closed for the season, Chef T says she will be previewing a limited menu of her most popular and kid-friendly dishes.

Food With PurposeFood With Purpose“The first meal is going to be probably my best selling dish, which is garlic butter salmon bites with zucchini noodles,” she says. “We're also going to have a sweet potato noodle stir fry, which has been a really big dish and really widely accepted.”

Other options include FWP eggrolls and dark chocolate covered stuffed dates. For the kids, Chef T will offer her Snactivity Pack—a turkey hotdog, healthy snacks, and a coloring page and crayons.

“We're going to have a myriad of things from healthy snacks that are super kid friendly,” she says. “These are snacks that I feed my own children.”

Acoff started Food with Purpose in 2021 after her father was diagnosed with kidney failure. “I created meals based on foods naturally good for kidney maintenance,” she explains. “In about 60 to 90 days, his doctor started seeing improvement in his kidneys.”

Subwick says he is extremely pleased with the city’s choice for the new concession stand operator.

“We're excited for Chef T to have her grand opening, previewing what's to come in 2025,” he says. “It's been a great experience working with her to bring healthy, tasty food options to our concession stand.”

Now, Subwick and Chef T are just busy watching the weather reports for Saturday. “If we have good weather, we typically see 700 to 1000 people for the event,” says Subwick. “It's a great way for small businesses like Chef T’s to test the waters and prepare for future operations.”

Octoer Feast is on Saturday, Oct. 26 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Bexley Park, 1630 Wrenford Road, South Euclid, 44121. The event is held rain or shine and is free and open to the public.

Karin Connelly Rice
Karin Connelly Rice

About the Author: Karin Connelly Rice

Karin Connelly Rice enjoys telling people's stories, whether it's a promising startup or a life's passion. Over the past 20 years she has reported on the local business community for publications such as Inside Business and Cleveland Magazine. She was editor of the Rocky River/Lakewood edition of In the Neighborhood and was a reporter and photographer for the Amherst News-Times. At Fresh Water she enjoys telling the stories of Clevelanders who are shaping and embracing the business and research climate in Cleveland.