Katie Lewis, the event organizer for the St. Rose Of Lima International Fall Festival has a hard job. Even though it’s her second year as the event coordinator, she has had to find a way to juggle one of the area’s largest festivals around football games, the Pensacola Interstate Fair and other fall events. But this year, she said, she’s found a way to tackle that problem. The solution? More rides. “The person running it before me was not as crazy about having more rides,” Lewis said. “She wanted that small community feel.” But just because Lewis is bringing out more rides this year, doesn’t mean she wants to take away from the festivals family-friendly environment. “We’re having a much bigger ride company out this year, and also bringing in a lot of other additions,” Lewis said. And these “additions” aim to keep people at the festival without worry of having to miss something. Things like football games. Lewis said that the church hired a satellite company to come out and broadcast football games all weekend long, so visitors wouldn’t’ be worried about missing out on a good game. “That Friday night is obviously Milton homecoming, and it was last year too,” Lewis said. “There are a lot of football games on during the festival, so now those who want to see the game can watch them while their kids enjoy the festival.” Lewis said the festival has always been the second weekend in the month of October. And this year, the festival runs a week before the Pensacola Interstate Fair. “We’re a weekend before the big fair…so we hope to draw in people who are excited about fair rides and are ready to ride,” Lewis said. Last year, the event organizer said that there was an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 people who attended the three-day festival. Parking is free for the event, and the festival runs until 10 p.m. Friday, October 12, and Saturday, October 13.
Want to go? What: St. Rose of Lima International Fall Festival When: October 12-14 Where: St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church grounds 6451 Park Avenue, Milton Price: Parking is free, ticket costs for rides vary
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Ride on