By Elizabeth Gwilt
From music to wings to cars and hayrides, organizers of this weekend’s Wesley Chapel Fall Festival promise enough attractions to fill a whole weekend.
The festival will take place on Saturday, Oct. 16 and Sunday, Oct. 17 at the Grove mall. Formerly called the Wesley Chapel Craft Show, last year the festival drew crowds of about 30,000 people over the course of two days, and this year’s attendance is expected to be the same.
David West, director of the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, said the event has undergone some changes in recent years.
“It’s no longer just a craft show,” West said. “We have such a variety of activities now: food vendors, pumpkin patches, live music all day — you name it.”
A custom car show is one highlight of the festival, with classic cars on display Saturday and Hot Rods taking center stage on Sunday.
Entire areas at the festival are designated just for the kids. Traditional autumn-themed entertainment such as scarecrow making and hayrides are available, but bubble machines, rock-climbing walls, human hamster ball rides, moon bounces and face painting are offered as well. Geoffrey the Giraffe from the Toys ‘R Us franchise will also make an appearance.
Battle of the Wings is one returning attraction, with Texas Roadhouse, last year’s winner, coming back to defend its title.
Restaurant manager Karina Evans is confident that Roadhouse wings will win again. “Our wings are always fresh and we have a legendary sauce,” Evans said.
“We are changing things up a bit this time. We are trying out a new flavor at the contest, and we’ll see what the other restaurants do,” Evans said.
This year, however, the competition says it’s ready. Ken Santo, owner of Santo’s Pizza and Pasta, says his wings are better. Santo came in second place at last year’s festival, but he doesn’t plan on changing his recipe.
“We serve a ton of wings at my restaurant. Our wings use the best products and the sauce takes four hours to make,” he said. “I’ve eaten the competition’s wings, and they’re decent, but I know mine are better.”
Both restaurants will be selling food at the festival along with other local eateries.
In addition to all the interactive fun, eight live bands will be playing through the duration of the festival. Looper Band, GreenLight Iguana, Bryan Edwards, and Ferengata will perform Saturday, while Sunday’s entertainment lineup includes Harold Jones, Nunes at Night, The Bucket List and 10th Concession.
“We are really hoping that families will come and have a great time together; there really is something for everyone,” West said.
