Fall Fun with a Cause: Parktober Festival

Macy Schlaht
2 days ago
1 min read

Valley City Parks and Recreation welcomed hundreds of families to its annual Parktober

Festival on October 11th at Chautauqua Park. The day was packed with autumn fun —

pumpkin picking, inflatable games, a corn pit, tractor cart rides, a fun run, a sand volleyball

tournament, and seasonal brews and soups. While the event is all about free fall fun and

community connection, it also has a meaningful impact, raising over $1,000 for the Valley

City Parks and Recreation Foundation.

Spooky Spike Showdown Sand Volleyball Tournament

Made possible by a donation to the Foundation from Sanford Health, Parktober Festival fills

a gap in local seasonal events while serving as a creative fundraiser. Forty percent of

registration fees from the Spooky Spike Showdown sand volleyball tournament went

directly to the Foundation, along with 100% of funds raised from pumpkin sales and the

free-will donation soup lunch.

Though still in its early years, the VCPR Foundation has a clear mission: to increase access to recreation for all ages, abilities, and income levels. Scholarships help support youth and adult activity registrations, facility memberships, and programs that might otherwise be out of reach for some in our community. Parktober

Festival perfectly demonstrated the

Foundation’s philosophy—fundraising doesn’t have to feel like asking for donations; it can

be fun, engaging, and a chance for the community to experience the impact of their

support firsthand.

Whether through pumpkins, fun runs, or secondhand sneakers, Valley City is finding fun,

creative ways to give back to our community—together.

Thank you to Sanford Health for making Parktober Festival possible!