Churches have fall festivals planned

There are plenty of ways to celebrate the arrival of fall in Columbia County.

Three events will take place Saturday:

- Lewis Memorial United Methodist Church will hold a barbecue along with games, crafts, and other family events from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.;

- Powell Baptist Church in Harlem will hold a fall carnival with a chili cook-off and silent auction from 3 to 8 p.m.; and,

- First Baptist Church of Evans will hold its annual Trunk or Treat and Great Pumpkin Party from 6 to 8 p.m.

Those interested in the Powell Baptist event can call (706) 556-3771 or (706) 556-8338 for more information. For information regarding the Lewis Memorial event or to purchase barbecue tickets, call (706) 863-6795.

Martinez Baptist Church also is planning a fall festival for Saturday, Oct. 21, to be held on the church grounds.

There will be two Columbia County fire trucks for children to view and sit in and two moonwalks to accommodate children of all ages, said Jon Hoover, the youth and children's pastor.

Four greens fees will be auctioned off for golf at both the Jones Creek and Bartram Trail courses. There will be a variety of food on hand, including cotton candy, snow cones and hot dogs.

"People should come to help bring the community together and enjoy quality time as a family," Hoover said. "Everything is free except a small charge for food and drinks."

West Acres Baptist Church will hold its fall festival from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29. For more information, call (706) 860-6573 or visit www.westacres.org.

Augusta Christian Schools will hold a Fall Festival and Country Kitchen from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, featuring a climbing wall, limo rides, a moonwalk, jousting, a giant obstacle course, live entertainment, food and prizes.

Money earned from the school fundraiser will help meet the needs of the Augusta Christian campus, said teacher Bonny Baxley.

"We've probably been doing it 14 years," she said. "It's a really fun day for the school."

St. Teresa of Avila's Catholic Church will hold a Ten Thousand Villages Gift Festival on Saturday, Nov. 4, and Sunday, Nov. 5. The festival is built around the idea that artists from Third World countries should be paid a fair wage for their crafts.

"We will be selling craftwork like jewelry, pottery and Christmas ornaments all made by people in Third World countries," volunteer Berry Brady said.

Brady clarified that the event is not a fundraiser for the church but is an outreach to help the artists.

"(This is a) great way to focus on global and social justice," volunteer Co-chairman Chris Baum said. "Your purchase of a piece of artwork can change a life."

The event will be held from noon to 8 p.m. that Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, contact Brady at (706) 210-5460 or (706) 951-9623. People can also learn more by visiting www.tenthousandvillages.com.

Pumpkin patches are also ready for fall. Marvin United Methodist Church will have pumpkins available from 1 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday through October. Call the church at (706) 863-0510 for more information.

Harlem United Methodist Church will have pumpkins through the month from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. Call the church at (706) 556-6885 for more details.

Wesley United Methodist Church will have pumpkins available from Saturday through the end of the month. They may be purchased from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Call the church at (706) 869-0888 for more information.