If your fall plans so far are raking and complaining about raking, 3 Bloomington churches have better ideas this weekend. Each is hosting a fall festival, and the times are spread out enough that a determined family could make all of them. The Bloomington Police Department will be at 2 of them. The city lists the Hillside and CrossPoint events as "Faith in Blue" gatherings, where neighbors can meet officers over hot chocolate and doughnuts.
Hillside Church, at 4300 W. 98th St., goes first tonight, Friday, Oct. 9, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. It's free. Kids get crafts, games and karaoke, and the whole family can play lawn games and enter a cornhole tournament. There are also prize drawings for gifts from local businesses. The food is free too: hot dogs, s'mores, popcorn, hot chocolate and caramel apples. Police officers will be there, and so will emergency vehicles for kids to look over. Nobody has to cook on a Friday night, which is a pretty good deal.
On Saturday morning, Oct. 10, CrossPoint Church at 9801 France Ave. hosts its free festival from 10 a.m. to noon, rain or shine. Expect pumpkin painting, a bounce house, and doughnuts and coffee. The coffee is presumably for the adults watching the bounce house. Officers will be on hand for a meet-and-greet, and the department's K-9 unit is scheduled to put on a demonstration. The church's flyer comes in both English and Spanish.
Redemption Lutheran Church takes over at noon with an Oktoberfest that runs until 3 p.m. Saturday at 927 E. Old Shakopee Road. The church is teaming up with Northstar Tavern and The Execs Big Band. Its events page promises free food, your first drink on the house, a bouncy house and minnow races. If you've never seen a minnow race, here's your chance. The church says everyone is welcome.
If you're doing the Saturday double, CrossPoint wraps up right as Redemption Lutheran's Oktoberfest starts, and it's a short drive across south Bloomington from France Avenue to Old Shakopee Road. Get the doughnuts and the K-9 demo in, then go hear some big band music. That's a fine way to spend an October Saturday.
