DEMOPOLIS – The Demopolis Civic Center was aflurry with activity Wednesday as teachers and other volunteers prepared for the second annual DCS Fall Festival.

The event will take place at the Civic Center from 5 to 8 p.m. and is a fundraiser for the participating teachers.

“We have 68 teachers participating this year, from preschool through sixth grade,” Fabulous Fours teacher Tracy Stewart said. “What money we make is divided among those 68 teachers.”

Last year the event raised more than $6,000, Stewart said, giving each teacher $123.

“This year our goal is $200,” she said.

Wednesday afternoon, teachers were busy setting up booths for such activities as the duck pond, face painting, tattoos, basketball toss, baseball toss, football toss, darts, tic tac toes, the pumpkin ring toss, go fish and others.

“We will also have concessions with hot dogs, chips, popcorn, drinks and homemade chili, pies and cakes, made by Annette Gwin,” Stewart said. “She’s made caramel cakes, pecan pies and other cakes.”

Thanks to the generous donations of local businesses, Stewart said the festival will be able to feature a raffle drawing approximately every 15 minutes of the event.

Admission is $2 or $1 plus a canned good.

“That’s so we can do our service project and give back to the Demopolis Food Pantry,” she said.

Children can also participate in a costume contest, and the first 400 children through the door will receive a trick-or-treat bag.

More than 400 children showed up last year, accompanied by at least as many adults.

“We probably had over 400 children, that’s not counting the adults – I couldn’t even count the adults there were so many people here, it was a huge success,” Stewart said.

Demopolis is not the only school hosting a fall festival. Thursday night, Sumter Academy will hold its fall festival at the school beginning at 6 p.m. The event will feature games and booths, as well as a costume contest.

Saturday night, West Alabama Preparatory School will hold its annual fall festival from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the school.