Community Corner

Fall Fest: Has the Weekend Become Too Crowded?

Sunday's turnout broke attendance records for the fest, but is that a good thing? Some Patch readers don't think so. What do you think?

When is record-breaking attendance too much? 

For some, that would be Sunday at . Early estimates put attendance between 80,000 and 100,000 for that day, a single-day record for the event, said Mark Giovanazzi, the 2011 Fall Fest chairman.

"Let's put it this way, if you were in town, you knew it was a humungous crowd," he said, adding that overall attendance for the weekend was estimated around 200,000 to 250,000.

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Those numbers might be good for the crafts vendors and food sellers, but two Patch readers thought the crowds were too much.  left this comment on the site:

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Too crowded Sunday very dangerous with too many people ... poorly thought out, food court too small, and once filled, no one can move in or out. Streets untraversable and sidewalks blocked at many locations. This is a great venue, but it needs to be laid out and planned a lot better if you are to accomodate that many people at one time.

, another reader and festival attendee, concurred:

Hate to do it, but I have to agree. We went Monday, and the food court area was awful. You couldn't maneuver in or out.

Giovanazzi said he isn't surprised by the congestion at the food court, given how it has become one of festival's most popular attractions, with people calling up to ask what types of food will be on sale. 

"We'll be considering more efficient ways to handle (the food court), so people don't feel like they're in a hundred-person line," he said.

What do you think? Was Frankfort Fall Festival too crowded this year? Or are the large crowds a positive sign of the event's popularity? Has Fall Festival become a victim of its own success?  

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