When the weather turns cooler after the hot summer, many organizations plan fall festivals to celebrate the season. These events often include inflatables for children, food, games, live music, hayrides, and farm animals. While often a fun and exciting part of the season, if not properly run and staffed these festivals can create dangerous situations for patrons. Check out these tips for keeping fall festivals enjoyable and safe. 
Keep your festival safe
- Make sure the event is adequately covered by insurance. Read more about our special events coverage options here.
- If the event includes any animals that patrons will be interacting with, take precautions to prevent illnesses. It’s very important to ensure people touching the animals wash their hands. Provide multiple hand washing stations and post signs encouraging patrons to wash thoroughly. Read through more tips on health safety with farm animals here.
- Keep a close eye on the weather. While storms are less common in the fall, they can still pop up and cause damage or injuries.
- Provide plenty of supervision. Having enough volunteers at each part of the festival is critical to keeping patrons safe. If the festival is using teenaged volunteers, pair them with adults if possible.
- Post rules at the entrance and at other key areas of the festival. Make sure rules are always enforced.
- If the event includes inflatables, ensure they’re properly set up and secured. This is an area that always needs extra supervision. Read through our article on keeping bounce houses safe here.
- If there are any other activities that could cause injuries, such as hayrides or bonfires, add extra supervision to these areas as well.
During the planning stage of a fall festival or other event, taking the time to prepare for any emergencies can go a long way towards preventing injuries. With careful safety plans and procedures, festivals can provide great experiences for families in the community.
