As leaves around St. Ignace begin to change color, Bayside Fall Fest will celebrate the season and offer family-themed activities downtown Saturday, October 3.

A major change this year will be the elimination of beer, wine, and live music that was offered at the event in previous years, Chamber of Commerce Director Janet Peterson said.

"We tried to add music, beer, and wine in the evening separate from the kids things," Mrs. Peterson said of previous festivals. "It just didn't ever catch on."

The main location of events will also be changing this year, moving from the marina parking lot to the lawn and parking lot of First National Bank. The event was originally moved to the marina to accommodate the beer, wine, and live music, Mrs. Peterson said, and without that portion of the festival, the extra room isn't necessary.

Centered in this area will be a table with free cider and doughnuts from the St. Ignace Business Association, apple bingo tickets, a bakeoff, the pumpkin decorating judging, a pie auction, a pumpkin seed spitting contest, a dangling doughnut game, and a pie-in-the-face auction.

The annual pumpkin roll, one of the most popular parts of the festival, will take place, as usual, at 4 p.m. on Goudreau Hill north of City Hall. Those who wish to give pumpkin rolling a try can do so for a $1 donation to the Gros Cap School Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO). Prizes will be given to those who get their pumpkins into the 55-gallon drum at the bottom of the hill.

Volunteer Marcy North will organize other games and competitions, including the bake-off and a new one to this year's festival, pumpkin bowling. These games will take place from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The pie-in-the-face auction will once again choose a handful of community members who will get the pleasure of having festivalgoers bid on who gets to choose which of them gets a pie in the face. Those with pie crust and meringue on their face will choose which local charity the auction proceeds will go to.

A hayride will be available starting at Little Bear East Arena. The scavenger hunt and bounce house offered in previous years will not be part of the event this year.

Allied EMS will be at the bank, offering free tours of its ambulance and the St. Ignace Fire Department will hold an open house at the fire station during the event. The theme of this year's fire prevention week, which coincides with the fall festival, is "Stay Fire Smart: Don't Get Burned." Firefighters will distribute handouts with information on fire safety along with treats for children.

Free apple bingo tickets can be picked up from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside the bank. Signs will be placed inside local businesses with numbers on them. If bingo ticket holders match this number, they can get their card punched and, when filled, can turn it in at the St. Ignace Parent Teacher Organization table for a prize.

The St. Ignace PTO will also offer a bake sale and a "guess the weight of a pumpkin" contest.

Gros Cap PTO will bring its pumpkin patch again this year, so families can pick out a pumpkin to carve or decorate their home with. Proceeds from the sale of these pumpkins go to the PTO.

Students from Gros Cap and St. Ignace schools will submit 20 decorated pumpkins for people at the festival to vote on Saturday. Each vote costs a penny, and the winning class will be rewarded with a pizza lunch.

B.C. Pizza will host a bean bag toss and pizza eating contest at the restaurant Saturday.

Businesses will also compete in the annual scarecrow design contest, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, in which business owners create scarecrow displays in front of their stores. Judges will visit the businesses and pick a winning display Friday, October 2, and Saturday, October 3.

Before festivities begin in downtown St. Ignace, Mackinac Straits Hospital will host a 5K run/walk at 9 a.m. starting at Bridge View Park. The course will run along the Lake Michigan shoreline in the park and along Boulevard Drive.

Admission to the race is $10 without purchasing a T-shirt , or $20 including a T-shirt. Proceeds from entry fees will go to the Mackinac Straits Health System Foundation.

A combination of different former events, including the pumpkin roll and the festival formerly known as "apple days," the Bayside Fall Fest attempts to provide local residents with a festival just for them, Mrs. Peterson said.

"We had heard a lot of people in the community ask, 'Can't there be a local event?'" she said. "It really started as something to do for the community here. It's a very local event."

This focus shouldn't discourage visitors from stopping by the festivities Saturday, Mrs. Peterson said.

"If you are in town for the weekend, anybody can participate in it," she said.