The city of Sedona’s Parks and Recreation Department will host its Great Pumpkin Splash at the Sedona Community Pool from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, followed by the inaugural Fest of Fall event at the Posse Grounds Pavilion from 1 to 8 p.m.
“Fest of Fall is a brand new community event brought to you by the city of Sedona,” Parks and Recreation Special Events Coordinator Jason Vargo said. “It is the seasonal complement to our popular Celebration of Spring. The goal of this event is to be comprised of all of the things that our community has shown that they really enjoy coming out for.”
Vargo said the event is being moved to the pavilion to reduce the effect of celebrants on the softball fields and added that he would like to host more events at the pavilion in the future.
Fest of Fall will include musical performances from Tria Prima and Sabina Sandoval & Alejandro Wood.
“We’re going to have the renowned MC from Flagstaff, Dapper Dre, is going to be our host for the event,” Vargo said. Other offerings will include food trucks, craft beers, caricature drawings and yard games like Jenga and Connect 4, as well as a craft booth for kids.
A cornhole tournament will begin at 2 p.m. Advanced registration at $15 per team is required and registration must be completed online through the city’s website. Vargo said the earlier part of the event will be family focused with a hula hoop contest and crafts, while the evening portion will attempt to shift to a more adult atmosphere.
The event was created in response to a decision by the Rotary Club of Sedona Red Rocks to discontinue their annual Oktoberfest.
“We initially decided on a department level that we were going to take it on ourselves because it was a partnership, and a signature event nine years running,” Vargo said. “But if we were starting an event from scratch, it didn’t feel like Oktoberfest would be our first choice of a theme … We just expanded our vision on that type of a festival, which still includes fun and games, music, food trucks, it will still include craft beers … It does. It does fit a similar mold but we just expanded it to fit our community a little better, and I hope that it is received that way.”
In an effort to get people to ride the Sedona microtransit system, Vargo said that the city will be offering raffle tickets for a prize to anyone who arrives by shuttle or bicycle.
The Great Pumpkin Splash
The Great Pumpkin Splash event invites families to select pumpkins from a pool rather than the traditional patch. “The Great Pumpkin Splash is a fun family event, great for all ages,” Athletics and Aquatics Supervisor Carmen Brashier said. “We have pumpkins of all sizes and each pumpkin comes with a decorating goodie bag. If you’re looking for a unique way to get your pumpkin, the floating patch is something you shouldn’t miss.”
The event capacity is 200 participants. Tickets are $5 and include the pumpkin and goodie bag. Although the event has sold out in the past, organizers typically have a few tickets available at the door on the day of the event. If residents wish to try their luck the day of the event, they should bring exact change.
For more information about both events, visit the Parks and Recreation page at sedonaaz.gov or call (928) 282-7098.
