Organizers of the 2009 Fall Fest breathed a sigh of relief when children began arriving for the start of the costume parade in Hinsdale Saturday, Oct. 17.

The event has undergone some changes during the past decade. Last year, there was no parade, but it was reinstituted in 2009 along with trick-and-treating at downtown businesses.
But for some Hinsdale residents, Fall Fest remained a destination event regardless of change.

“This type of event is one of the reasons we recently moved here to Hinsdale from the Lincoln Park area of Chicago, to enjoy the small town atmosphere,” said Catherine Dietrich. “We were really thrilled that it turned out to be such a nice day, and it didn’t rain.”

By 11:15 a.m. about 50 children, accompanied by parents and guardians, began strolling north from Hinsdale Middle School on Washington Street to start the half-mile parade that kicked off the annual festival. The parade culminated in Burlington Park with costume judging, pumpkin decorating, a magician and — most important — dry, albeit cool, weather.

“It really turned out as nice as we could have asked for,” said Gina Hassett, director of Hinsdale’s Parks and Recreation Department, which helps organize the event.  “We are lucky to have some sunshine today.”

Earlier in the week, the forecast called for scattered rain showers, and high temperatures of about 50 degrees, but on Saturday the temperature rose to 52 degrees with plenty of sunshine, according to the U.S. Weather Service.

While a variety of cowboys, pirates, fairies, witches and comic book heroes entered a Halloween-theme inflatable jump room, others made their way to an area where hundreds of small pumpkins were waiting to be selected for decoration.

Using materials provided by the Hinsdale Center for the Arts, the children and parents painted and sprinkled glitter on the pumpkins before taking them home.

During the parade, Dietrich’s son, Will Konsoer, 2, sat inside a wooden, hand-crafted, red-and-black train engine pulled by his parents. Will periodically rang a silver bell dangling at the end of a string from the roof of the 3-foot high vehicle.

Dietrich said it took five days to construct the engine, which was presented to Will when the family left the house for the parade Saturday morning. Will was happily surprised to see the engine waiting for him outside, Dietrich said.

“We decided to surprise him, and he really liked it,” Dietrich said.

Will, dressed as James the Engine, was one of about 50 costumed children and pets entered in the costume contest as James the Engine.

Nancy McDermott, a Hinsdale resident, said she has attended the event in the past and this year attended with her grandchildren.

“It is a great event, and the kids really love it,” she said. “All four of my grandchildren marched in this year’s parade.”

By about 2:30 p.m. a few stragglers remained in Burlington Park, but the downtown district remained vibrant with children walking from business to business seeking candy.

“I think many were happy to see the return of trick-or-treating. The downtown got pretty crowded,” Hassett said.