Fall fun, chili, and a place by the fire at New Life

Pumpkin bowling, chili, campfire s’mores, and family games fill the evening at free community fall festival

4:44 p.m. Sept. 13, 2026

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

By the time October gets comfortable in Middle Tennessee, it does not take much coaxing to get folks outside. Throw in pumpkins, a pot of chili, and a campfire, and most families can find a reason to stay a while.

New Life Baptist Church will host its free Community Fall Festival from 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at 90 Oak Hills Dr. The church is inviting families from across the community, whether they attend New Life, worship somewhere else or have not been inside a church in years.

Organizers have spent the past few weeks getting the grounds ready and lining up enough games and food to keep families busy through the evening.

Pumpkins get put to work

Pumpkins will do more than decorate the place.

There will be pumpkin bowling and a decorating station, along with bucket toss, ring toss, and knock-the-cans games. A tic-tac-toe game and a photo booth also will be set up.

Players can earn tickets as they make their way through the activities, with prizes waiting at the festival prize table.

When the daylight starts thinning out, the campfire should begin drawing its own crowd. S’mores are part of the evening, and somebody is bound to hold a marshmallow a little too close to the flame.

Chili and something sweet

The Fellowship Hall will handle the food side of things.

A chili cook-off will let visitors sample the entries and vote for a favorite, while guests can also cast a ballot for their favorite decorated pumpkin. Popcorn, cotton candy, and other refreshments will be available through the evening.

The festival is free, and nobody needs an invitation from a friend or a connection to New Life before pulling into the parking lot.

Come as you are

Church fall festivals have been around long enough that most folks know how they tend to go. The kids usually find the games before the grown-ups have finished looking around, and before long somebody is standing over a bowl of chili making a pretty serious case for which pot deserves the vote.

A quick stop can turn into most of an evening before anybody pays much attention to the clock.

New Life is calling the festival “Faith, Fun & Fall Memories,” but the evening itself is pretty simple. Families can wander through the games, find something to eat, and stay a while if the fire turns out to be where the evening lands.