Homewood's Fall Fest Flourishes, Unites Neighbors

—Article and Photos by Stan Polanski

As residents walked the streets of the Homewood Fall Fest on the morning of Sept. 20, they saw something they wouldn’t have in the previous 12 fall fests. About 50 scarecrows, designed by different residents and business owners, were lined up at the corner of Martin and Kroner.

This was the scene of the first scarecrow competition. And to Phil Kosanovich, Chair of the Homewood Community Relations Commission, this is one example that the fall fest is growing.

“I think it’s fabulous,” he said. “We want to instill community spirit and show that we care about the people.”

Kosanovich likened a vision of the Homewood community to the kind of unity seen in Norman Rockwell Americana. At the fall fest, residents tangoed together to the Spanish grooves of Latin Satin Soul, sat with one another on a horse-pulled wagon, and emphatically praised the homemade chili of those who were in the chili competition.

The winner of the first scarecrow competition was the tandem of Art Trevino and Stephanie Neufeld. Trevino, the owner of Cilantro, came up with the idea of doing a Day of the Dead-themed scarecrow. He put together the elaborate and colorful floral design and Neufeld painted the scarecrow’s skeleton-like face. It took them seven hours to make and Trevino said he plans to find a place in Cilantro for his creation.
But plan to get familiar with all the scarecrows because they will be attached to Homewood’s light posts this fall. Anna Devries, the PR and Marketing Coordinator for the Village, said that as long as the creators waterproofed the scarecrows like they were instructed, they should be up until Halloween.

The chili competition also added a first to the thirteenth annual fest. It was the first year any of the local businesses got a chance to compete. Grady’s Grill, The Cottage on Dixie, Twisted Q, and Fifth Quarter entered against seven other non-professional contestants.

But Beth Follmer managed to beat the restaurant entries and take first place.

“I’ve worked really hard on this, that’s all I can say,” she said after one person asked what her secret was.

Follmer had been in the chili competition three times before and had varying success—a first, third, and one where she didn’t place. She said this year she precisely measured amounts for each ingredient, instead of tossing what looked like the right amount in. Throughout her four entries, she has been tweaking her recipe.

And if she did have a secret to her chili it might have been this: Hatch chili a friend bought in New Mexico.

Rain steadily fell for about an hour in the afternoon, but after it passed, Latin Satin Soul prepared for its three hour set. They played to a sea of residents in front of them. The Latin group took requests and said that Homewood was one of their favorite fests. Down the street, children sat blissfully watching the Lego Movie.

It wasn’t until 10 pm, the fest’s ending time, until any substantial amount of people left the fest and headed home to rest at last.