Fall Festival

For four decades, the annual Fall Festival at First Baptist Church of Kissimmee has become a cherished tradition in our community. Each year, families gather to enjoy laughter, food, fun, and not to forget candy, creating memories that span generations. This year’s festival, held last Thursday, was no exception, showcasing the growth of the community and the joy this event brings.

Church volunteers lined the pathways, offering hot dogs, hamburgers, cotton candy, snow cones, and popcorn while children and families went between games earning candy, petting animals at the petting zoo, and bouncing through giant inflatables.

One of our volunteers and long-time attendee, Jeff Thompson, shared his reflections, “I’ve been coming here for over 20 years. My kids went through the youth. I’ve now got my grandkids coming here. I love this church!” The sense of nostalgia and enthusiasm was also shared by others as they’ve seen multiple generations of their family attend. 

In addition to the fun, the festival also serves a greater purpose - Outreach to the community.

Michelle Langer, who has been on staff for FBCK for the past 8 years and a part of the Annual Fall Festival for 30 years, shared her reflections, “I’ve loved this event all these years. I’ve seen it grow and change. We have new games, we have inflatables, every year gets better and better. I just love it because we see the community come out and a lot of times we have families come back to church because of this event, so that’s what’s been great because that’s the whole point is outreach. I think every year gets bigger and bigger.”

Pastor Tim Wilder also shared his experience as he was walking around the festival connecting with the community, “We probably have about 130-140 of our people who are out here serving and loving on the community. It creates a safe, Christian environment for the kids here in this community and it’s a great way to say thank you and to love on them as a church being good neighbors. There's a lot more people here that I’ve seen and families I just met that I hadn’t met before, so we’re really seeing the community come on the property. It’s a great event!”

It was clear that this year’s festivities were a success and that FBCK accomplished the mission of loving on our neighbors. We look forward to many more years of this beloved tradition, and outreach to the community with the main goal of spreading the love and Gospel of Jesus Christ.

As the festival wraps up, I’m left reflecting on the importance of such gatherings. They remind us of the power of community, a positive conversation, the gift of giving fun and smiles. All these things that we do in Jesus’ name can light a spark in a lost soul as they feel seen and loved by someone. That someone is Jesus! We are His hands and feet on this earth and He allows us to be a part of His mission. I can’t wait to see what next year will bring!

Are you seeking opportunities to serve others and make meaningful investments in their lives? Feel free to reach out to us, and one of our leaders will gladly assist you in exploring opportunities.