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<p>FORTY FORT &#8212; Children and their families filled the lot of Edward&#8217;s Garden Center on Saturday, kicking off the first day of its annual Fall Festival.</p><p>From face-painting and pony rides to food trucks and live entertainment, the well-known business offered a touch of everything fall and fun while helping support a local animal group.</p><p>For several years, the center has offered the event as a way to raise funds for the Blue Chip Farm Animal Refuge, offering to match donations made at the festival.</p><p>Business owner Edward Kopec said he&#8217;s adopted some of the 30 animals at his business from the shelter, and supports the no-kill site.</p><p>&#8220;Kids love animals, and it was a way to bring kids into the garden center,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We adopted a lot of animals from Blue Chip and it just seemed like the right partnership for us.&#8221;</p><p>Making his way around the garden, Diesel seemed to appreciate all the extra attention he was getting from festival patrons. The 10-year-old Golden Shepherd is up for adoption, and volunteers hoped he would find his &#8220;forever home&#8221; this weekend.</p><p>Blue Chip regularly brings dogs to adopt at the festival, said shelter volunteers Scott and Patricia Gozikowski, and the shelter could use as many loving homes as possible right now.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re loaded,&#8221; Patricia said as she brought Diesel back from a walk.</p><p>The organization has taken in about 15 dogs who were rescued when Hurricane Florence devastated the Carolinas and other areas last week.</p><p><strong>&#8216;Step back in time&#8217;</strong></p><p>As children followed the gravel pathways on a scavenger hunt, Susan Krulikowsky sat on a swing with her 2-year-old daughter, Melody. A regular patron of Edward&#8217;s and its fall festival, the Larksville resident said the space is both relaxing and reminiscent of past times.</p><p>&#8220;You almost kind of step back in time here, no one&#8217;s on their phone, there&#8217;s no TV,&#8221; she said as she looked around at other families.</p><p>Krulikowsky enjoys playing a role in keeping small businesses alive, adding she&#8217;d rather purchase items here than some big-box store.</p><p>After aiding Edward in hand-delivering lunch to their employees, Margy Kopec said the idea for a fall festival was two-fold.</p><p>&#8220;Originally, a lot of people said that they had a hard time finding our place,&#8221; Edward recalled. He thought the festival would help customers recognize the location of his business off the Cross Valley.</p><p>But for Margy, the festival is all about old-fashioned family fun.</p><p>&#8220;My favorite part is just seeing the family togetherness that you find here,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Everybody just seems to be really, truly enjoying themselves, and it&#8217;s just nice to see people away from their phones.&#8221;</p><p>The festival continues Sunday.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Julie Park, 10, of Nanticoke and Jayden Sanders, 6, of Sunbury, play a game of checkers during Edward&#8217;s Garden Center Fall Festival in Forty Fort on Saturday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/web1_ttl092318fallfestival-2-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Julie Park, 10, of Nanticoke and Jayden Sanders, 6, of Sunbury, play a game of checkers during Edward&#8217;s Garden Center Fall Festival in Forty Fort on Saturday afternoon. </caption0><photoCredit0>Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/web1_ttl092318fallfestival-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Olivia Deno, 4, of Forty Fort hangs out on a chair with her friend, Ashton Wootton, 3 of Kingston, during the Edward&#8217;s Garden Center Fall Festival on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/web1_ttl092318fallfestival-3.jpg</photo1><caption1>Olivia Deno, 4, of Forty Fort hangs out on a chair with her friend, Ashton Wootton, 3 of Kingston, during the Edward&#8217;s Garden Center Fall Festival on Saturday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/web1_ttl092318fallfestival-6.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Rob Smith, a juggler from Clarks Summit, performs for kids Saturday during the Fall Festival at Edward&#8217;s Garden Center in Forty Fort. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/web1_ttl092318fallfestival-6.jpg</photo2><caption2>Rob Smith, a juggler from Clarks Summit, performs for kids Saturday during the Fall Festival at Edward&#8217;s Garden Center in Forty Fort. </caption2><photoCredit2>Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/web1_ttl092318fallfestival-8.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Kaitlyn Stewart and daughter Lucy, 2, of Mountain Top, watch a train display during the Fall Festival at Edward&#8217;s Garden Center in Forty Fort on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/web1_ttl092318fallfestival-8.jpg</photo3><caption3>Kaitlyn Stewart and daughter Lucy, 2, of Mountain Top, watch a train display during the Fall Festival at Edward&#8217;s Garden Center in Forty Fort on Saturday. </caption3><photoCredit3>Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Forty Fort fun helps refuge</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Marcella Kester</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div>

Fall Festival in Forty Fort for a furry cause