Fall Family Fiesta

The joyous shouts and happy clamor that resonate all summer long at Camp Mahackeno return for an autumn afternoon when the sixth annual Fall Family Fiesta takes place on Sunday, Oct. 16, from 1 pm to 4 pm. The Westport Weston Family Y’s signature fall family event is free and open to everyone in the community.

Children of all ages are invited to come to the Y’s 32-acre Mahackeno Outdoor Center for an afternoon of active play and family fun. “We’ll have lots of food and games, and we’ll continue our tradition of decorating sugar pumpkins for the kids to take home,” says Rory Marino, senior director of Camp Mahackeno and coordinator of this year’s Fall Family Fiesta.

Kids can romp on three mega-size inflatables, summit the camp’s 20-foot climbing wall and compete against their friends in the ever-popular bean-bag pumpkin toss. Families are also invited to join in a special activity, “Build a Birdhouse,” with kits supplied by the volunteer leaders of the Family Y’s Building What Matters campaign to fund and construct a new Y facility at Mahackeno. 

Family Y volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about the future home of the Family Y, scheduled to begin construction in the fall of 2012. Fiesta-goers can also take guided tours around the perimeter of the two-level, 102,000 sq. ft. facility, from the main entrance close by the Merritt Parkway, to the Child Care Center with its separate entrance and playground, to the water slide that will exit the lower level of the building before returning to the warm-water family pool with a splash.

“This is really going to be a terrific environment for family fun,” says campaign co-chair Rosemary Halstead. “We look forward to showing more people exactly what we’re building – and why it matters to the entire community.”

Past scenic Poplar Plains Brook, on Camp Mahackeno’s blacktop court, the Family Y’s acclaimed Gymnastics Showtime Exhibition team will give a special performance, 1:30 to 2:30 pm. Lunch fare includes grilled hot dogs, plus an array of salads and healthful snacks and beverages. A DJ will supply a musical backdrop to the festivities.

There’s more than fun and games at this year’s Fall Family Fiesta: The Family Y is pleased to host a Flu Clinic Program provided by Visiting Nurse Services of Connecticut. VNS accepts the following insurances with no charge to the insured: Medicare, Blue Cross/BlueShield, Health Net Commercial and Connecticare (please bring your insurance card with you). If you have any other type of coverage, you will need to pay for the shot ($30) and seek reimbursement with your carrier. To receive a flu shot, you must be 18 years and older.

Additionally, Jay Paretzky of Westport Emergency Medical Services will conduct a series of “hands-only” CPR classes throughout the afternoon. The 10-minute introduction to the basics of CPR is designed to increase the layperson’s familiarity with First Responder protocols – and buy life-saving seconds before help arrives.  

“The Family Y is all about youth development, healthy living and social responsibility,” says Rob Reeves, Family Y CEO. “All of that comes together at our season-ending event at Mahackeno, the Fall Family Fiesta.”