Little Elm -- The 2013 edition of Autumnfest, sponsored by the Little Elm Festival Association in conjunction with the Town of Little Elm, opens on Thursday, Sept. 26 for its four-day run at Little Elm Park, according to Joni Neyland, Festival Association President.
“We get going on Thursday evening and run full-force through Sunday, with our busiest day being Saturday. We’ve got so many wonderful activities set up for the entire four-day period, but our main focus are the events on Saturday. The entire Autumnfest will be fun-filled and jam-packed with food, games, contests, and good old-fashioned family entertainment,” she said.
Little Elm Park, 704 West Eldorado Parkway, provides free, off-road parking. The park is cooler-friendly, but prohibits glass containers, and no pets or animals, other than service animals, are allowed.
Autumnfest 2013 kicks the doors open on Thursday, Sept. 26 with the ever-popular carnival and vendor exhibits from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Carnival rides are controlled by armbands, which can be purchased at selected locations.
On Friday, Sept. 27, the carnival and vendor area opens from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. In addition, home-grown singing sensation Brittnee Belt will entertain attendees at 7 p.m. with a 45-minute set. Then, after the mini-concert, a free movie will be shown at the amphitheater.
Saturday’s schedule opens with the Rock the Doc 5K and 1-mile fun run. The 1-miler starts at 8 a.m. and the 5K starts 30 minutes later. Awards will be presented at 9:30 a.m. All proceeds from the race will benefit the Little Elm Food Bank.
At 11 a.m., a BBQ cook-off begins that will conclude with judging and awards at 3 p.m. The carnival and vendor area will open at noon and stay open until 11 p.m. At 3 p.m., the “Anything that Floats” Derby starts with sign-in and inspection until 3:45 p.m. The horn sounds at 4 p.m. to start the wackiest watercraft race that Lake Lewisville has yet seen. Awards for the Derby are scheduled for 5 p.m.
Other activities include a Flag Ceremony by Boy Scout Troop #44 at noon, closely followed by a Pretty Baby Contest. At 1:20 p.m., the Encore Dance troupe takes the stage, then at 2 p.m., the Lakeview Choir entertains for 30 minutes. They’re followed by the Sidekicks Martial Arts until 3 p.m., when the Little Miss Autumnfest contest begins, involving girls 5 and 6 years old. At 3:30 p.m., girls 7 to 9 years old compete for the title of Junior Miss Autumnfest.
At 4 p.m., Miss Autumnfest is chosen from a field of girls between 10 and 12 years of age. The 3-D Performing Arts Academy goes on at 4:30 p.m., followed at 5 p.m. by the American Legion Flag Ceremony. The Premier Martial Arts presents "Stranger Danger" at 5:20 p.m. Then, the entertainment portion of the festival concludes with the Closing Flag Ceremony at 6:55 p.m.
From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Jones the Band provides the musical backdrop for the rest of the evening. A fireworks display lights up the sky at 9 p.m. On Sunday, the carnival and vendors open from noon to 8 p.m.
“We think we’ve put together an Autumnfest that people will remember for the wide variety of activities, for the food, for the fun and for the memories. We’ve very excited about it,” concluded Neyland.
ABOUT LITTLE ELM – Little Elm is one of the state’s fastest growing communities. Nestled on the shores of Lake Lewisville, the Town was incorporated in 1966, adopting the Council/Manager form of government. The population increased dramatically over the last several years, growing from under 4,000 in 2000 to over 30,000 today. Little Elm’s population exceeds the state average in education and income, and is increasingly trending younger and technologically proficient. The Town’s footprint is just over 14 square miles and boasts some 66 linear miles of shoreline within its boundaries.