Held annually, Fall Festival will be a big event for the Eaton community and the High School FFA club. This year, the Fall Festival is on October 23 during the afternoon. Preparation and planning for the festival takes months, but when the day finally comes, it is always a special day for all participants. All businesses, clubs, and sports teams are invited and encouraged to set up a table for all the possible visitors. Each group uses their table to advertise their organization and to interact with kids in the community by handing out candy. After the kids trick or treat throughout the Fall Festival, they have the opportunity to go carve pumpkins, ride in a barrel train, or participate in other festive games.

Originally Fall Festival was an event that would familiarize the community with agriculture and showcase its importance and impact. Today, the Fall Festival still gives kids (and their parents) an opportunity to learn about agriculture and get some sweet treats. This event, and the positive impacts it provides, wouldn’t happen without the two FFA advisors, Heidi Lanning and Melissa Achziger. Both advisors have an agricultural background and now teach and oversee the next generation of students interested in agriculture. This next generation is key to a “successful” Fall Festival. All members of the Eaton FFA chapter are encouraged to participate in the events and volunteer their time. When they volunteer each member is given the opportunity to pick a station they want to be at and run the game or activity for the evening. Officers, leading members of the chapter, met up in August to begin planning the Fall Festival (and other events that would be happening this year.) The preparation for Fall Festival can be overwhelming for some, but junior Shelby Shuman (23), welcomed the challenge. She said, “I was constantly emailing teachers and other community members asking if they would want to be involved. We (FFA members) create all the games from scratch and even design the flyers. It takes a lot of hard work, but it definitely pays off.” 

Last year, with Covid-19, Fall Festival had to abide by state-wide protocols and restrictions, but these protocols and restrictions didn’t stop Eaton FFA from having a successful Fall Festival. “Even last year with Covid protocols we were able to have the Fall Festival. We got a good turnout and we were able to give the community a break from the crazy year” said Shuman. During 2020, Fall Festival provided normalcy to the year. In 2021 this event will bring festivity and a community camaraderie some are just getting used to again. FFA members, parents and kids in the community, businesses, sports teams, and other organizations are looking forward to the Fall Festival.