Pumpkins, pets and a deliriously good time at fest

SALISBURY — Gloomy weather did not deter visitors to the Fall Festival in Salisbury, held from Friday, Oct. 5, through Sunday, Oct. 7.

On Saturday, Oct. 6, it rained a bit in the morning but by 10 a.m. or so Main Street was full of joy and merriment.

Magician Peter James had a crowd of children and adults laughing as he performed on the grass on the Library Street side of the Congregational Church. A routine involving Count Dracula was a big hit, as was the sleight of hand with fake eyeballs.

Ambling along Main Street, a visitor could pause to listen to Jake Ellington of the Housatonic Valley Regional High School robotics team explaining the mechanism of a Frisbee-throwing robot, buy a raffle ticket from the Rotary Club from Michele Kearns and her daughter, Nicole Gorat, or visit the Salisbury Association’s exhibit on World War 1.

The artisans had their booths set up on the corner of routes 44 and 41, as usual. Salisbury’s Sharon Hamilton had a new line of tote bags with festive designs, which came in handy for carrying the hefty one-volume “Riverside Shakespeare” a reporter discovered at the St. John’s Episcopal Church book sale.

Business was brisk at the hot dog tent, and the musically inclined had two choices: The Joint Chiefs on the Academy Street side of the Congregational Church, or the Salisbury Band Senior Hotshots on the lawn of the Scoville Memorial Library.

There was a lot of activity at the library. In addition to the band, there were games for children, including the classic “Hit Your Buddy in the Face With a Wet Sponge.”

And there were children decorating pumpkins and each other.

Making slime was popular. There was an entire table devoted to it.

After an intense investigation, the ingredients of slime can now be revealed.

They are: Elmer’s glue, saline solution (for contact lenses), baking soda and a little food coloring.

The saline solution is also used for cleaning the hands in the post-production phase of slime manufacture.

Slime is somewhere between traditional mucus and ordinary household rubber cement. It is somewhat adhesive, and has a clammy, gooey feel. If removed promptly, it leaves little or no trace.

All around both Salisbury and Lakeville were scarecrows, from individuals, institutions and businesses.

The winners of the scarecrow contest, with more than 400 people voting, were as follows:

Group/Family Category

1st, Linda Campbell

2nd, Lakeville Grove

3rd, Soule Family

Business/Nonprofit Category

1st, White Hart inn

2nd, Sotheby’s

3rd, Salisbury Family Services

Kids Category

1st, Housatonic Child Care Center (Curious George)

2nd, Hadley L & Co.

3rd, Ella and Tessie

Sculpture Category

1st, Salisbury School

2nd, Best & Cavallaro Real Estate

3rd, Housatonic Valley Regional High School

And this year, for the first time, there was a Pet Parade on Sunday, Oct. 7, that included beloved four-legged family members including dogs, turtles and a goat.