LUDLOW — The 12th annual Wildcat Park Fall Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Wildcat Park in Ludlow, and according to park board member Claire Ann Buckley, this year’s event will be bigger than ever before.
Buckley said all three pavilions this year will be filled for the first time, with more than 40 vendors slated for Saturday’s event. She said some of this year’s vendors have two and even three tables of items for sale. Last year’s festival had 30 vendors.
For the first time this year, an air slide will be available for children courtesy of Dr. Krista Jamerson of Kane.
There will be pumpkins and apples available for sale at this year’s event. The apples were donated by Rocky Ridge Orchards of Kane.
There will be two different kinds of chili available in the food area for festival-goers, Buckley said. She noted that hot dogs, macaroni and cheese and soda pop will also be available.
There are also be two large giveaway baskets, according to Buckley. She said one basket is filled with Pittsburgh Steelers gear for men and women. The other basket is entirely comprised of gift cards to local businesses, Buckley said. She estimated the value of the gift cards at more than $500.
Buckley also noted a Chinese auction will be drawn at 4 p.m., and once again the selection is “huge.”
While the largest of the three pavilions already had a canvas curtain, Buckley said, the two smaller curtains recently had Amish-made canvas curtains installed.
Wildcat Park was originally established in 1925 by G.W. Olmsted and several other prominent members of the Ludlow community. Among the amenities and things to see at the park are a full-size baseball field, Two Mile stream, and a veteran’s memorial which was officially dedicated on Veterans Day in 2014.
Buckley said the festival was started in 2004 to raise money for the park. She noted the park is funded entirely on memberships, pavilion rentals, and donations from daily users, but the festival gives the park additional income with which to work.
Admission to the festival is free. Wildcat Park is located on U.S. Route 6 east of Ludlow in Hamilton Township.
