The Bryant Chamber of Commerce hosted their 37th annual Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 12 to bring the Bryant community closer together. They offered free admission for a variety of activities including a car show, bounce houses and attractions for children, food trucks and even stage entertainment from various student musicians from Jettway Performance. Additionally, Fall Fest promoted local businesses, allowing them to purchase vendor booths and showcase their services.
Cheryl Harrell, the advisor for Bryant’s FBLA program, claimed that Fall Fest isn’t just beneficial for businesses, but for students as well.
“To have a booth at an event like this teaches the students what is involved in generating leads or increasing your social media following so your posts will reach more people,” Harrell said.
This year was FBLA’s first time participating in the festival as a vendor and having a booth. Junior York Wilson, a club member, felt motivated to volunteer after learning about the new opportunity.
“I like helping people and spreading the word about FBLA,” Wilson said. “I feel like not enough people know about it, so I just want more people to learn about the club.”
Over the years, the festival’s popularity has steadily increased. Anna Brimhall, event coordinator for the Chamber of Commerce, discussed the growth Fall Fest has experienced to make it an eagerly awaited Saline Country tradition.
“This year we have 72 vendors which in the past we’ve had about somewhere in the 50 mark,” Brimhall said.
Fall Fest is growing in more than just numbers as this year’s festival introduced the “Salute to Heroes” program.
“We’ve also added the ‘Salute to Heroes’ this year to show appreciation to our local law enforcement and our local military services,” Brimhall said. “It also gives them the opportunity to be in front of the community as well.”
Along with several other branches of military and law enforcement, the Army National Guard was participating in Fall Fest to build a positive relationship with the people. Staff Sergeant Louis Jackson emphasized the importance of the community having faith in their forces.
“It’s always imperative to have that relationship with the community, to let them know that we are here,” Jackson said. “We’re always looking to fill our ranks as well.”
The Chamber of Commerce looks to support businesses and foster togetherness in Bryant through different events in which all local businesses can participate.
“Anyone from a home-based business to a large business can be a vendor,” Brimhall said. “All they have to do is watch our social media and watch our website.”
