A drone shot of people gathering pumpkins at the 2024 fall festival. The event is a favorite of township residents.
The township will once again host its fall festival from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11, at Andaloro Farm in Westville Grove.
The festival will celebrate the arrival of fall in Deptford and is considered to be one of the most attended events of the year.
“We’ll have between 1,500 to 2,000 people attend,” said Mayor Paul Medany. “It’s free for all Deptford residents and there’s plenty to do with the whole family.”
A playground will be set up in the farm’s fields that will include bales of hay for kids to climb and play on, as well as games and other attractions. Wine will be served to adults and a band will perform.
“A special moment was taking our son on his first hayride to pick pumpkins on Andaloro Farms,” said state Assemblyman Bill Moen, who visited the festival last year. “We tried to find a pumpkin that was bigger than him.”
Participants will also be able to go on hayrides through the farm and have access to pumpkins. Located across the street from the site is the township’s Museum of American History, which will be open and free to attend during the festival. It features artifacts from the area’s pre-Columbian days, as well antique tools and equipment from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
Medany and members of council will be in attendance to talk with residents, as will representatives of the police and fire departments and township administrators.
“People get to meet neighbors that they might not have realized that they had,” said Medany. “It also gives people the chance to meet their local representatives in a more relaxed atmosphere. It’s all about building community spirit in Deptford.”
Andaloro Way and many of the streets nearby will be closed all day to vehicle traffic and parking will be available at the recreation and community centers. Buses will be on hand ito transport people to and from the festival.
The event is being organized by the parks and recreation and public works departments. Their volunteers will help out on the day of the festival, which is returning based on feedback from last year’s festival.
“Before and after the event, we assess everything,” said Medany. “We’re always trying to reach out to people because it provides them with an affordable way to have fun.”
