SPANISH FORT, Ala.—Fall was definitely  in the air Saturday at Rockwell Elementary’s annual Fall Festival, where pumpkins, hay stacks and scarecrows decorated the school grounds.

Kids walked around with their tickets in hand while they decided what booth to visit next. Inflatable obstacle courses; a toilet-paper toss, complete with a custom outhouse; a clown-themed bean bag toss; throwing a ball as a radar gun speed-tester, loaned by the Spanish Fort Police Department, rated force; a cake walk; and the chance to soak Coach Joey Holston—by throwing a ball that triggers a shower—were among the choices.

“I can’t decide, I like it all,” Emma Laurence, a third-grader at Rockwell, said when asked her favorite activity.

Participants could play games and even take home a new furry friend; The Haven—a Fairhope-based no-kill animal shelter—held an adoption at the festival.

Vendors sold purses, makeup, clothing and seasonal items.

“A fun day with the kids” is what Patricia Ladner said she was looking for with her three kids and two nephews. “This was the first day I didn’t have to make the kids get up to come to school. They were ready to go before I was.

“I wish every school day was this easy,” Ladner joked.

Many families, apparently, make fall festivals a tradition.

“We come every year,” Deborah Ammons, of Daphne, said. “I like to involve my kids with the seasons because, you know, this is the type of stuff my mom did for me that I still look back on today.”

“This year’s fall festival was a huge success,” Principal Robbie Owens said. “It is great to be part of a community whose parents and teachers work so hard for its schools and children.

“This annual event is one that the children look forward to for weeks. We are able to have a lot of fun while also raising funds for the many projects our PTA sponsors.”

The PTA began festival plans in July, but Susan Whaley, fall festival chairperson, said she begins to mentally prepare about a year in advance.

“Every year we try to add new things,” Whaley said. “What we try to do is make it a family fun day.

“We also want it to be a fun community event.”

“It is amazing how hard the parents work at Rockwell to make the fall festival a memorable time for our students,” Valle Cox, third-grade teacher, said. “They have worked for months creating booths and raising donations.

“We have more than 800 students and still the PTA was able to create a safe and fun environment for our students to enjoy.”

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