For big event planners at companies, colleges and city governments, holding a fall festival in Florida offers consistent weather that’s a bit cooler. The only thing that is needed is a solid plan to put the party into motion.
Fall festivals in Florida have always been popular. The Sunshine State is famous for hot summer weather with almost daily afternoon thunderstorms. But it’s equally as famous for great weather in the fall (and the winter, but that’s another story).
Florida also is home to the best entertainment rentals in the country. Whether you want to plan a carnival-themed party or something built around a holiday such as Halloween, big event planners can get the support they need by talking with experts in event management.
Creating a Successful Fall Festival in Florida
The following offers some tips based on years of experience in collaborating with big event planners on creating fall festivals in Florida.
Get Organized
The first phase is often the most important. Even veteran event planners can get overwhelmed at times with the host of issues that go into planning a fall festival in Florida. Here’s a checklist of organizational issues that are common for almost every big event.
- Create a guest list. Every decision about a fall festival flows from understanding the target audience for the event, whether it’s company employees, college students or younger teens and kids.
- Set a budget. It’s easy to either spend too much or not spend enough to make a fall festival special. Go into the event with a set budget that will guide decisions, but one that also ensures the party will be memorable.
- Time and place. The bane of every event planner! Outdoor locations should be the first choice in the beautiful Florida fall weather, but it’s important to have a backup location or a second date, just in case.
- Pick a theme. There’s nothing wrong with going with the fall festival as the theme, but party planners might want to focus on a specific theme (carnival, a holiday, hay ride).
- Insurance and permits. Make sure to have all the insurance required to hold a big event at your preferred location, as well as the proper local permits.
- Build a team. Event planners need volunteers for many aspects of an event, from overseeing parking to running ticket booths and supervising rides. Planners need a team they can count on.
Choose Entertainment
This is where the fun starts. Big event planners have a wide variety of choices in many different categories.
Carnival midway games. You can now rent carnival game trailers that make it possible to set up a midway that is just like classic carnivals and state fairs.
Inflatable slides. You can rent inflatable slides for your event, including giant water slides and photo op slides.
Obstacle courses. Much like the classic mazes at fall festivals, obstacle courses provide party guests with a challenge (and a chance for team building if it’s a company party).
Extreme rides. Rock walls, mechanical bulls (or pumpkins or spiders), thrill rides, bumper cars, laser tag, zip lines and much more are available to take the event to the next level.
Planning For Kids (and Food!)
A big municipal event or company party may include inviting people to bring their children. Experienced planners know if that is the case, it’s important to offer them entertainment that will make them (and their parents) much happier.
A smart solution is to set up an area focused on kids built around a main attraction like a bounce house or carnival games. Fun food such as popcorn machines, snow cones, cotton candy and frozen drinks are also a surefire hit.
With a solid plan, even the biggest fall festival in Florida is manageable. Working with professional event managers alleviates a lot of stress and concerns. It also leaves many of the details, such as power needs and the safe placement of rides, in the hands of experts.
