Vermilion Riverfest welcomes fall

VERMILION — Celebrate the change of seasons at the Vermilion River Fest today with a slate of activities to usher in the fall. The family-friendly event will feature live music, kids' games, face painting and more from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Vermilion River Reservation Bacon Woods, 51211 N. Ridge Rd. "We're taking the opportunity to get out and use the parks in a fun family way, doing a lot of the things you associate with fall - we'll have hay wagon rides and apple rolling down the sledding hill and slingshotting apples at a target," said Matt Kocsis, senior naturalist for Vermilion River Reservation and Schoepfle Garden. This marks the second year the Lorain County Metro Parks has hosted the River Fest, Kocsis said. About 1,000 people attended last year, a "pretty good" turnout for a first-time event, he said. Park officials saw the need for the River Fest because so many visitors still asked about the Pioneer Days festival that used to be held in the park long ago. Though it has been nearly 20 years since it has been discontinued, many parkgoers miss having a fall event in Mill Hollow. "This is not replacing it, but we saw the need to fill the gap here in September," he said. Naturalists will lead hikes to the river and bring some of the native wildlife, like a turtle and monarch butterflies. "Our focus is on wildlife and on native animals, and they'll talk about the importance of wildflowers for the monarchs," he said. There will be fly-fishing demonstrations, a rock-climbing wall, and campfires. There will be games and crafts for kids and face painting. In the amphitheater there will be two musical acts throughout the day: Front Porch Jammin' and The Divots, both playing a mix of classic rock and "music that you know and can sing along to," Kocsis said. There will be food trucks, including Dominic's from Lorain, serving Italian sausages, Kona Ice, Stately Dogs, and Poppin' Around popcorn. The Friends of the Metro Parks will also have a stand selling beverages and snacks. Admission and parking and activities are free. Overflow parking if needed is available on the Mill Hollow side of the park. Contact Rini Jeffers at rinijeffers@gmail.com.