Hay bales, piles 'o pumpkins, and brats on the grill. It's fall in Fauntleroy and the community is ready to soak up the best of the season.

This Sunday (Oct. 15 from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m.) head toward the bend in the road on Southwest Barton and California for the annual Fauntleroy Fall Festival - an afternoon of celebrating the season and our community.

The festival began back in 2002 as a community response to the attacks on 9/11.

"People in our Fauntleroy community decided we really needed a venue to develop community 'togetherness' and celebrate how lucky we are to live in such a great area," says festival chair Kim Petram.

At the same time, the event provides entertainment for all ages and supports local vendors in a safe (not to mention fun) environment. This year's festival is sponsored by Fauntleroy's YMCA, Church, Community Association, Children's Center, Little Pilgrims School, Tuxedos-N-Tennis Shoes Catering, and Endolyne Joe's and includes a wide variety of things to do.

The youngin's can go on pony rides (with the help of adults), scale the climbing wall or bounce around on the inflated "Thriller" toy slide. Each child can also explore the festival with their very own "passport map" winning prizes for visiting markers on the map along the way. And for those crafty kids (and kids at heart), the fest also offers woodworking, wind chime making, pumpkin painting, and more.

Teens and tweens get their own special hang-out called "Middle Earth" where they can play games like ping pong, foosball, hose hockey and partake in cool crafts like making album art where they melt old records over metal forms to create unique, funky shapes for all to see.

For history buffs (and those who simply enjoy a good story), there will be resident historians hosting slide shows and reflections on old time Fauntleroy in the 1910s and 1920s throughout the afternoon.

And don't forget to save up your appetite for tastes from local vendors and a fine autumn-inspired meal as the Hall of Fauntleroy will hold an Oktoberfest bratwurst dinner followed by dancing to the tunes of the West Seattle Big Band.

Other festival highlights include performances by the Civic Dance Theater, Endolyne Children's Choir, and Stagestruck (children's acting group).

And you can capture the fun with family and friends as Gail Anne Studios will be there shooting portrait photography ('cause it's never too early to get that Christmas card shot of the fam)!

"It's all about having a good time and celebrating this great community we're lucky enough to live in," says Petram.

For those of you who attended the Morgan Junction Community Festival in September, you'll see that neighborhood by neighborhood community is becoming is high priority for all parts of West Seattle.

So come on out and meet your neighbors for a brat and a whole lot more.

(Information Box)

What:

Fauntleroy Fall Festival

Where:

In the heart of Fauntleroy (by the church)

On SW Barton & California

www.fauntleroy.net

206.938.6903

When:

Sunday, October 15 from 3-7 p.m.

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