The 44th annual Orange Park Fall Festival opens Saturday, Oct. 17, at Town Hall Park with more than 200 artists and vendors, more than 30 food vendors and two stages of live entertainment.

The two-day festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18, according to the Town of Orange Park's event calendar.

Admission is free.

Town staff estimated attendance at 40,000 during an Aug. 19 Budget and Finance Committee meeting, according to town records.

Live music and dance performances fill two stages

Saturday's opening ceremony begins at 10 a.m. with the Clay High School Junior ROTC presenting the colors. Lyndie Burris Knowles will perform the national anthem, Clay Today reported.

The entertainment lineup spans both days and includes the Jamie Davis Band, Sam Pacetti, Atlantic City Boys, Lonesome Ride, Tracy and Jeannie Perez, the Alaskan SunnySide Sisters, Emily Mikus and Bear and Robert.

Dance performances include Dansations, Destiny Dance Center, Relevé Academy of Dance, All-Starz Dance Studio, Wehner's School of the Arts and Asbury Arts Center/North Florida Dance Center.

The full entertainment schedule, including performance times, is available at opfallfestival.com.

More than 200 vendors, food and children's activities

Festivalgoers can browse booths offering handmade pottery, jewelry, paintings, quilts, wood crafts, artisan foods and farm products.

More than 30 food vendors will offer a range of festival favorites, including barbecue, local seafood, funnel cakes and turkey legs.

A Kids Zone will feature inflatables and other family activities.

Local nonprofits and community organizations will also participate. The GFWC Orange Park Woman's Club and Orange Park Little Woman's will each operate a booth, according to the club's event calendar.

Free parking and shuttle service available

The festival takes place at Town Hall Park, 2042 Park Ave., Orange Park.

Free parking and shuttle service will be available at Moosehaven, 1701 Park Ave. Visitors should enter the property through the Park Avenue gate.

The shuttle will operate continuously from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. both days, according to the festival's official parking information.

Organizers ask visitors not to park in the Winn-Dixie/CVS shopping center lot across from Town Hall Park.

Limited accessible parking will be available at the Orange Park Police Department, 2025 Smith St.

Festival traces its roots to 1982

The Orange Park Fall Festival began in 1982 with approximately 12 craft booths and a few guitar players.

It has since grown into what organizers describe as Clay County's oldest and largest arts and crafts festival, attracting hundreds of vendors and thousands of visitors each year.

Town staff reported during the August budget meeting that the event operates at approximately break-even, with expenses covered through sponsorships, vendor fees and tourism grant funding.

For additional information, residents can contact Town of Orange Park Events and Recreation Coordinator Emily Dockery at 904-278-3043 or [email protected].

What's ahead

Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 18: 44th annual Orange Park Fall Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Town Hall Park, 2042 Park Ave. Free admission and shuttle service.