Pumpkins, Scarecrows and Smiles: Fall Festival at Helen Kaplan Center Celebrates the Season
Scarecrows were dressed to impress and smiling jack-o-lanterns greeted attendees at the 2025 Fall Festival at the Helen Kaplan Center campus on October 21. On the crisp fall morning, the campus celebrated the season with arts & crafts, festive music, and plenty of seasonal activities.
Games included a ring toss, corn hole, and stations to decorate ghosts and scarecrows.
“We plan it every year,” said Jane Erb, Volunteer and former Program Coordinator for AHRC Nassau’s Day Habilitation Services at Helen Kaplan Center. “Each house works on it. They each decorate a pumpkin and scarecrow.”
In the days leading up to the event, people supported and staff worked together to add warmth and creativity to the celebration, crafting photo booths, information boards, and festive backdrops.
However, the most meaningful aspect of the festival wasn’t the colorful decorations or delicious treats, it was the sense of community. The event brought together people supported and staff from across the campus to enjoy the outdoors, surrounded by laughter, music, and the crisp autumn air.
By the end of the event, no one was in a rush to go back inside. The men and women who reside at the Helen Kaplan Center, enjoyed the event and time together.
“Staff are so creative and the people we support are involved,” Jane said. “It’s fun.”
Helen Kaplan Center loves to throw a good party — and this Fall Festival was another chance to make memories that will last a lifetime.