SANATOGA PA – Dozens of families and their children turned out Sunday (Oct. 24, 2010) in surprisingly warm weather and very high spirits to enjoy Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township’s annual Fall Festival – its Halloween party before Halloween – in a slightly new location, the upper portion of Sanatoga Park near the municipality’s baseball and soccer fields off South Park Road, Pottstown PA.

In years past the festival has been conducted near the band shell in the park’s lower section, off South Sanatoga Road. There was no musical entertainment planned for this year, allowing the event to be regrouped closer to favorite playground equipment near the upper fields. At one time or another every swing was filled with a smile (above), and every slide echoed with laughter.

Everyone, and the kids in particular, seemed to revel in the new site, and no one missed the music. Instead, they took away hats and animals and toys, all crafted by a skilled balloon artist (top). They giggled up and down Park Road as they rode a hay wagon (above) pulled by a township tractor. They created their own crafts (both below) beneath an awning that provided ample shade from an Indian Summer sun.

And they played games like bean bag toss (below) and web-a-spider for small candy prizes. There were no losers, by the way.

Proving he was a braver politician than most, township Board of Commissioners’ Vice President Bruce Foltz volunteered, or maybe was roped in, to be a judge for an accompanying costume parade (below). He had help from former board President Tom Troutman, Assistant Manager Alyson Elliott, and municipal building Receptionist Jen Corley. “They all just look so great,” Foltz said. “It isn’t easy picking winners in this group. There are so many good costumes,” Elliott added.

Entire families decided to play dress-up (below), many using their ingenuity and materials found at home.

Ribbons were awarded to those dressed in the most creative, scariest, funniest, and prettiest outfits. And true to Elliott’s words, extra ribbons were handed out to others in costume that judges thought should have been winners too.

The Post took a total of 44 different photos at the event; see them below, simply by clicking once on a thumbnail image to enlarge it.