Wes Klier of Sault Ste. Marie is led through a hay-maze by his son Caleb, 1, during the Pickford Fall Fest at Pickford Township Park Saturday, October 10. Spirits and attendance were high during the second annual Pickford Fall Festival at Pickford Township Park Saturday, October 10. The festival and its goal of benefiting the development of a public library in Pickford attracted more than 400 people and raised almost $1,700 for the library development fund.

Organizer Melanie Greenfield said she was pleased with the number of families and individuals who attended, even though attendance at this year's festival was down compared to last year and it raised about $300 less. Those who did come, came early.

"A wide variety of people started coming about quarter to 11 a.m.," even though the festival started at noon, she said. "I noticed a lot more people without kids coming, too."

The money was raised for the library fund through park entry fees and 10% of farmers market, concession, and merchandise vendors' sales.

Billy Newell, 6, (left) and Garrett Newell, 9, both of Pickford, pick out pumpkins with their mother, Tabitha Newell, at a pumpkin patch during Pickford Fall Fest Saturday, October 10. More than 450 pumpkins were set up for children to choose and decorate. Children and families enjoyed a maze built out of bales of hay, hay rides on horse-drawn trailers, a bouncy-house, and pumpkin painting. Two horse-drawn drays carried people around the park and through town before dropping them off at a pumpkin patch in the park's camping area, where children could pick from 450 pumpkins to paint inside the pavilion.

Also in the pavilion, people enjoyed the music of the Pickford Pickers band while drinking apple cider and eating doughnuts. Festival-goers also entered into a $1 raffle for a children's play- house built by students in the Pickford Public Schools woodshop class, and three wood carvings.

"The playhouse is a big popular raffle item," said Cindy Smith, Friends of the Library treasurer. "There are three wood carvings that we're also raffling off. Those were made by 'Chipper Dan' Johnson, but the playhouse is the big attraction."

Carrie Jones was the winner of the playhouse raffle, while Chase Fisher and Paxton Palmer, both of Pickford, won a birdhouse and a carving of a bear made by Mr. Johnson, respectively. Mr. Johnson himself won the third carving, which was of an eagle. Ms. Smith said a family member entered Mr. Johnson's name into the raffle.

Festival-goers started to crowd into the park pavilion about 1 p.m. when it began raining, although some remained outdoors. Wes Klier and his family of Sault Ste. Marie made their way to the pavilion once the rain started.

"It's the first time we've been down here for this. It's pretty fun, minus the weather," he said.

Ms. Greenfield said, "Up until the rain started, people were just pouring into the park... In the fall, northerners are pretty apt to take the cold and the rain a little bit."

The Friends of the Pickford Library will host a community book sale Friday, November 13, and Saturday, November 14, at the Pickford Methodist Church to benefit the library development fund.