KIDS COSTUMED as Big Bird, Buzz Lightyear, a firefighter, cowboy, dinosaur, pig, even a cupcake, and many other characters descended on Central Avenue Saturday for the Faribault Fall Festival. What a delight to see the street crowded with costumed kids and with adults enjoying a beautiful, sunshine-drenched autumn day in our historic downtown.
The event featured not only kids’ activities and trick-or-treating, but also the Studio ARTour, fire department open house, vendor market and chili sampling.
Randy and I arrived at noon specifically to sample chili made by non-profits, businesses, candidates for public office, a church and other cooks. For $5 each, we enjoyed a tasty lunch of chili samples. But it wasn’t all about the food. Moving among chili serving stations set up on sidewalks along several blocks, I met new people, talked with friends, dodged costumed kids, all the while feeling a strong sense of community connection.
City council candidate Natalie Halverson scooped out pumpkin chili made with foods sourced in Faribault, including turkey and beans. But she also served up an opportunity for locals to jot down their answers to this question: “What are the most important qualities of an effective Faribault City Council?” That engagement impressed me.
Around the block, Nancy Greer served her beefy chili, cornbread, cheese and crackers with a pepper spread, and mini cupcakes on a festive table outside Our Place on 3rd. Like Halverson, she offered more. Greer shared mental health and suicide prevention information, handing me a flier about World Mental Health Day on October 10 and Recovery Road MN. The Recovery Road team is walking 1,776 miles to raise awareness about youth mental health and reduce the stigma.
Greer’s care, compassion, generosity and optimism—she wore a butterfly tee emblazoned with “BELIEVE in who you are”—left me feeling really good. I walked away with a business-sized card telling me “SOMETIMES YOU FORGET you’re AWESOME. SO THIS IS YOUR REMINDER.” The flip side of the card included validating words such as strength, bravery, smartness and love.
All around me I witnessed and felt the love. Families walking together. Grandparents, parents and volunteers leading, assisting or simply standing by as kids painted small pumpkins, colored cloth trick-or-treat bags, jumped in a bouncy house, launched stuffed animals toward a dinosaur, created sand and button art, and more.
Inside Runamuck Workshop, throngs of kids and adults crammed the toy store. Across the street, Books on Central was also busy. And a block to the north, the Paradise Center for the Arts teemed with art-lovers there for the Studio ARTour, gallery shows and live music.
Vendors selling everything from sweet treats to handcrafted items lined the center of Central Avenue.
I didn’t hit every aspect of the Faribault Fall Festival. But I experienced enough to feel the strong sense of community created by this event. It’s good for the heart and soul of a community to come together, to have fun, to appreciate one another, and to recognize that this city we call home is worth celebrating.
© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
What a wonderful event for the entire community. All ages and states and neighbors and new friends. Chili tastes are always fun and people are so creative with their recipes. That’s great that Natalie asked the question, and it makes you wonder why more politicians don’t ask straightforward questions like that to their constituency. I imagine many kids were tired out after that big day. And adults too.)
It was all all-around fun event. And, yes, I wonder, too, why politicians don’t ask questions like the one posed by Natalie. She was the top vote-getter in the primary in a field of 10 candidates, if I recall correctly. We have a slate of good, qualified candidates.
that’s great, i hope she wins-
I’m pretty certain she will. There are multiple seats open.
Local elections are so incredibly important
Yes, they are!
You really illustrated a vibrant caring community. Plus looks like everyone had a great time! The sun was out, too. Would have enjoyed those chili samples.
Thank you, Ruth. It was an absolutely beautiful day for the Fall Festival.
These are the absolute best kind of events, aren’t they? That chili sounds amazing.
Most of the chilis were sweet, which is not my preferred chili. Still, most were tasty.
Looks like it was a nice an a fun day. I hope everyone enjoyed it,
It was a beautiful autumn day in Minnesota, even if a bit windy.