Festival rings in autumn

The sweet aromas of Polish sausage and jambalaya are sure to overload the senses of West Franklin Street revelers Sunday afternoon.

Thousands of local residents are expected to gather between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday for Festifall, Chapel Hill's annual autumn festival.

The festival, a 33-year downtown tradition, celebrates artistry within the community while patrons search for that perfect off-the-wall work of art.

Event planners hope the street fair - complete with three stages of live music, a plethora of children's activities and more than 100 vendors selling everything from jewelry to woodwork - will get customers pumping through the downtown sector.

Sponsored by the town's parks and recreation department, Festifall is the second biggest festival in town, finishing only behind the spring's Apple Chill festivities in terms of event size.

Sonya Reddick Shaw, programming and marketing supervisor of the festival, predicts between 10,000 and 20,000 people will be in attendance Sunday.

The event, which will encompass the West Franklin district and Mallette and Kenan streets, will cause a disruption to parking in those areas from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Planners say they are hoping to give the event a personal feel, despite its relatively large size.

"We were going for a local, down-home feel," Shaw said.

New to the festival this year is an expanded and enhanced kid-zone, complete with slides and inflatable equipment, arts and crafts, and a climbing wall.

The festival also serves as a showcase for community musical artists.

Entertainment will be provided in the form of live music and performers wooing crowds on three separate stages.

Groups playing everything from bluegrass to hip hop, as well as dance groups and clogging performances, will be on hand throughout the day.

And for the adventurous eaters in the area, Festifall boasts a wide range of international cuisine cooked to order.

But some have labeled an attribute Festifall doesn't share with its spring counterpart as its greatest offering.

Apple Chill, known for its police record as much as it is for devotion to the community, has received criticism on multiple fronts for not providing an adequate family environment.

Carolina Brewery owner Robert Poitras said Festifall's relatively crime-free atmosphere gives families incentive to attend.

"(Festifall is) the better of the two street festivals because there's no aftereffects," he said. "Business can return to normal a lot quicker."

Public parking for the event is available along Rosemary Street.

 

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.