An afternoon of fun at the Whitecourt Hilltop Community Church

 

The 7th Annual Family Fall Carnival was held on Saturday, September 9 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Whitecourt Hilltop Community Church. Posters said rain or shine, and the group certainly stayed true to their words as they kept up the festivities regardless of the wet conditions.

Many members of the community came out for the afternoon of fun which saw numerous stations set up outside in the parking lot including basketball free throws, a football toss, water spray races, bean bag toss, a very popular sling shot game in the style of Angry Birds, and a long track perfect for racing small cars. There was also a photo booth area where kids and parents could dress up in all kinds of funky accessories including a huge dumbbell, and a fishing pond where kids could fish up a prize.

On top of the outdoor fun, the church members also put on a puppet show inside called Amazing Grace. Four colourful and funny characters brought out the giggles from the audience as they competed in a race for God’s love. The performance shared a great message about the love of Jesus and was hilarious to boot.

Head organizer of the carnival, Christina Sheppard, said she and the volunteers were very happy to see people coming out despite the weather. “It’s our first year with rain but people are still showing up and we are pretty excited about that.” Roughly 15 volunteers helped put the event on and several youth members ran stations such as the face painting stop.

Each child was given a stamp for every event they took part in as well as received a free bag of popcorn and a small container of cotton candy. Those who went fishing received an extra prize from ice cream or dilly bars to a free slushy.

The event is a great kick-off for the Awana Program that is held throughout much of the school year. “Our Awana Club runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday nights until the end of April. It’s for children in kindergarten up to grade six. They get to play games and learn scripture and bible verses while having a lot of fun,” explained Christina. The program starts on September 13 but children can be registered beyond that date.

With the seventh year in the books, Christina is already eyeing up next year’s carnival and already has some ideas in mind. “We are looking to possibly build new games, maybe with a classical carnival feel to them. I’m really excited about that!”

To learn more about the Awana Club and upcoming events at the Whitecourt Hilltop Community Church join the Facebook page, stop in at 32 Whitecourt Avenue, or call 780-778-3113.