Town’s Inaugural ‘Fall Festival’ Oct. 4 replaces canceled Taste of Farragut
Although Shop Farragut/Farragut Business Alliance won’t enjoy the benefits of its annual fall fundraiser, with the recent cancellation of The Taste of Farragut, Town leaders were determined to give citizens, along with Town and area businesses, a “festival” nonetheless.
Inaugural Farragut Fall Festival will take place on the same day and same location T of F was scheduled, Sunday, Oct. 4, in the “old Kroger” parking lot across from the Kingston Pike entrance to Farragut High School (Lendon Welch Way).
Co-hosted by Shop Farragut and Town of Farragut, this new event will feature five things T of F didn’t have: free admission, multiple forms of entertainment, all businesses welcome (not just food and beverages), two extra hours of fun and a chance for business vendors of all kinds to directly profit from sales.
However, “We will continue to maintain a food and beverage atmosphere,” said Stephen Krempasky, Alliance executive director. “But we’ll bring in more entertainment, like Music Fest would have had before it got cancelled (in July), rather than just one band playing at the Taste of Farragut.”
Instead of running from 4 to 7 p.m. as T of F was planned, the Festival will run from 3 to 8 p.m.
Twenty-seven vendors had signed up as of farragutpress deadline Tuesday, Sept. 1.
Festival sponsors feature SouthEast Bank (platinum level), TDS and Grayson Automobiles (both gold level) and MLILY Matress (silver level).
With Taste of Farragut “we asked restaurants to contribute their food toward our fundraiser (an entrance fee for the public),” Krempasky said. “This event allows (all vendors) to sell product.”
As for a convenient day and time, “We don’t have to compete with University of Tennessee Football or Farragut High School football,” he said. “And it’s better for a lot of the businesses because Sunday afternoons are a lot less stressful in their schedules.”
Entertainment will include “local musicians,” he added.
In following with COVID-19 prevention measures, “We will ask people to wear masks and stay with their groups, and social distance,” Krempasky said, adding event workers will maintain a disinfected environment. “We’ll ask vendors to have hand sanitizer at their booths.
“Although we will have a Festival tent, there won’t be as many tables and chairs.”
Parking can be found on the “north or east sides of old Kroger parking lot, at Farragut High School (including along Lendon Welch Way) and at West End Center,” Krempasky said.
