Storefronts boasted pumpkins, scarecrows, and other fall decor inviting more than 200 community members to come in, hunt for a hidden pumpkin, and explore downtown Hillsdale for the ninth annual Awesome Autumn Event on Tuesday, Oct. 22.
Tonya McCallister, a Hillsdale resident, said she and her family have made Awesome Autumn a tradition. Her two sons, Kegan McCallister, 5, and Dylan McCallister, 12, were bundled up and full of smiles. Kegan McCallister said he enjoyed the candy, while Dylan McCallister enjoyed sampling the soup for the soup contest.
“We love it. We do it every year since things started. Last year it was on Kegan’s birthday and we just like to continue the tradition,” McCallister said. “It’s nice to have a community event where you can have the kids and parents, and my parents are here as well.”
Twenty-one businesses each hid a pumpkin for participants to find. Some of them added in games, treats, and other fun activities. Will Carleton Academy had a booth inside of Current Office Solutions for guests to play cornhole and H.J. Gelzer & Son, Inc. had two Halloween-themed selfie stations.
“We hid three pumpkins, each with a different word written on them for people to find, we have candy, and two selfies stations with a ghost and pumpkins,” Michele Harmnon of Gelzers said. “It makes people aware of the store and what we have, which is what the goal is.”
Patti Bailey of Maggie Anne’s boutique had one hidden pumpkin, snacks, and two special sales going on as a part of the event. She said she likes Awesome Autumn because it’s an opportunity to stay open a bit later.
“It’s nice that we’re open later for people that can come in after they get out of work and we’d normally be closed,” Bailey said. “We’ve had people that have come in that have said: ‘We haven’t been in here in a long time,’ or ‘We’ve never been here.’ They’re finding new things they love here at the store.”
Brandi Palmer, a Hillsdale resident, said the HBA events such as Awesome Autumn and the Golden Sleigh Scavenger Hunt help her get a head start on her Christmas shopping.
“It’s nice to go into the shops. I’ve actually gone back and bought things that I wouldn’t necessarily have thought I liked in there,” Palmer said. “It’s a nice way to go and see what the shops have. It sometimes helps get Christmas shopping done too.”
This year the HBA added in soup and pumpkin decorating contests for the businesses to participate in. Here’s to You Pub & Grub had a butternut squash soup and several others made their own. Lori Rubley of Century 21 Real Estate won first prize with her cheeseburger soup, and the Blossom Shop won the pumpkin decorating contest. Both of these winners will earn a lunch for their staff provided by the HBA.
