Autumn in full bloom at Cantigny Fall Festival
After another summer of glorious blooms, the gardens at Cantigny Park in Wheaton are gracefully transitioning into a show for fall.
The autumn panoramas will be on display Saturday, Oct. 14, when the park presents its annual Fall Festival, a signature event that includes a plant sale, craft fair and children's activities.
The park's landscapes are achieved, in part, by careful planning and greenhouse cultivating that often results in overstock.
It may seem counterintuitive to look for plants this time of year, but the festival offers visitors a chance to stock up on house plants that can keep greenery around all winter, said Magan Ascher, Cantigny's visitors services director.
"It's one of three times a year we sell plants out of the greenhouse. They're inexpensive leftovers that we didn't put around buildings or out in the landscaping. They're kind of overplanted things, or overgrown," she said. "
Along with the plant sale, there will be a book fair in the Visitors Center and a 45-vendor craft sale on the parade field.
At least half the items offered by each vendor must be handmade, Ascher said, and the non-juried show will feature jewelry and a variety of other art forms.
Several inflatable rides will be available for children, including a boot camp obstacle course that Cantigny debuted for the August reopening of the First Division Museum, which pays tribute to the history of the Army's 1st Infantry Division.
Ascher said the park's museums will be open during the festival.
Admission to the Fall Festival is free; there is a $5 parking fee per vehicle.
Other family activities at the fest include pumpkin decorating with colored markers, face painting and ceramic pumpkin decorating with paints. There is a $3 fee for each of those activities.
For $1, visitors may visit the petting zoo or take a tractor-pulled hayride, she said.
Performers on the East Stage will include Banjo Buddies, a new addition to the festival, and a return of The Great Whiskey Project, a Chicago-area band that plays an eclectic mix of music.
The West Stage, otherwise known as the kids' stage, will feature Game Show Gurus, a Chicago-area troupe delivering an interactive show at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. featuring their "Versus" and "Win It in a Minute" games.
"Everyone gets involved, and they compete against each other and we have trinket prizes," Ascher said.
Interspersed will be shows at 11 a.m. and 1 and 3 p.m. featuring ScribbleMonster, an interactive act featured at last year's Fall Festival.
"They really get the kids going," Ascher said.
Ascher said the Le Jardin beer patio will be open and several food trucks will be on-site. Bertie's coffee shop will offer hot and cold cider, apple cider doughnuts and hot chocolate.
The Fall Festival is a favorite among Cantigny fans, she said.
"This is probably our most well-attended event," she said. "It's just a great family experience."
If you go
What: Cantigny Fall Festival
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14
Where: Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton
Admission: Free; $5 per vehicle parking fee
Info: cantigny.org