Second annual Fall 4 Colfax festival just around the corner

A chilly, rainy morning dawned on the inaugural Fall 4 Colfax festival last October. Nevertheless, Nikki Stravers and Tammi Schwickerath, the sister pair who own and operate Absolutely Younique Boutique (AYB), managed to pack East Howard Street with 15 vendors and almost 200 festival goers.

This year, Stravers and Schwickerath have paired with Colfax Main Street to throw the second annual festival and grow the tradition. On Oct. 6, the city will close the block of West Howard Street between South Walnut and North Locust streets from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for a day of pumpkins, scarecrows and candy corn.

“We’ve got the whole day, every half hour, scheduled with events,” Cindy Van Dusseldorp, president of Colfax Main Street, said.

For several weeks, Van Dusseldorp and Justin Niceswanger, Main Street’s promotions chairperson, have been meeting with the sisters to plan activities and gather sponsors for the event. They’ve added more children’s activities, including a corn pit bursting with nearly 20 bushels of golden kernals — and more games — from soccer games with players encased in inflatable bubbles to a bike decorating contest — to last year’s pumpkin bowling and corn hole tournament. Stravers hopes a smoke-off featuring delectable pork, chicken and beef will accompany the chili cook-off. Festivalgoers can wash down these delicacies with glasses of wine from Train Wrek and Near Wood Wineries or a cold pint while relaxing in the beer garden.

Although Main Street has coordinated with Stravers and Schwickerath to organize the bulk of the festival, the team has received an outpouring of support from the community. The Talsma brothers of I-80 Farms have agreed to donate the abundance of corn for the corn pit, and Jim Nelson will truck in bales of hay from his farm in Mitchellville. Music from Serious Sounds Entertainment will float from the tent they’ve volunteered down the street to the beer garden sponsored by Poppy’s Family Restaurant. Colfax-Mingo High School’s agriculture teacher, Mike Rupert, will continue the tradition of donating pumpkins from the ag department’s own pumpkin patch.

“The point of the fall festival is that the community puts it on for the community,” Stravers said. “We hope as the years go on, it grows and more people keep coming back and participating.”

For a complete schedule of events, visit Colfax Main Street's website, the Colfax Hot Spot Facebook page or pick up a flyer at AYB on East Howard Street.

Contact Phoebe Marie Brannock at 641-792-3121 Ext. 6547 or pbrannock@newtondailynews.com