Flagler Estates Fall Festival this Sat. Oct. 9th..

By Malea Guiriba
Fall is definitely in the air in Hastings. The gnats are gone, the fields are being plowed under and readied for the winter crops and there is a whisper of a breeze blowing through the sorghum fields. And there is some fun, afoot.

On Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., you can take the family for a ride out to the Flagler Estates Fall Festival. The event will be a day of fun featuring face painting, a bounce house, music, games and food. There will be information booths and crafters and the first ever Miss Flagler Estates Pageant. Go to www.feciafl.com for information.

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Beginning today, the Sykes and Cooper Farms Corn Maze is open to the public. I get so excited every time I pass by the farm on S.R. 207 and see the mammoth sunflowers smiling at me and the rows of sorghum stretching skyward. I can hardly wait to take my grandchildren out for a day of country fun. There will be hayrides, a pumpkin patch, a family photo area and farm animals and of course, the 9-acre maze. Come out to Hastings and "get lost" in a really good way.

The maze is open through Oct. 31. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. For information, call 692-1370 or go to www.sycofarms.com.

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A very special event will be held on Oct. 14 at the Hastings Public Library. "Picturing Hastings" is an exhibition of photographs taken by members of the Hastings Drop in Center, which serves as a socialization center for those with a mental health diagnosis. Recently, St. Augustine-based fine-arts photographer James Quine, taught a photography class to the members who were given disposable cameras and instruction in technique and composition with an emphasis on photography as an art form.

The show will feature the work of each student and offer glimpses of life in southwestern St. Johns County. The project was funded by the St. Johns County Cultural Council and the State of the Arts License Plate Program.

This show is a must see! I have seen the photographs and they are just wonderful. These are special moments captured through the eyes of folks who, although they might see them every day, framed them as a special moment in time, pausing to enjoy the moment. The photographs of anytime, anywhere moments are captured through the lenses of the amateur photographers and when I saw them, it made me think about how each of us views our world. There are photographs of an empty phone booth with a rag doll on the ground out at Molasses Junction; a mother holding her newborn, just out of the hospital; a man approaching a car window in the rain, under a bright umbrella; a Muscovy duck, relaxing in front of the Health Department building and three little kittens looking out of a screened window. Those are just of the few of photos on display. Make Hastings your destination again and plan to attend this exhibit from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 14.

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Under the category, "This was a really Amazing Event in Hastings," is the Inaugural Softball Tournament, The League of O.U.R. Own, which was held in Wilke Field on Sept. 16. Many students from the Flagler College girl's baseball and basketball teams showed up to help families have a really great time. It was so much more than anyone expected and such a delightful surprise. More than 150 folks came out to support Communities in Schools O.U.R. Center food bank, bringing canned goods as an entrance fee. Food and drinks were provided by the Hastings Rotary and O.U.R. Center parent volunteer Toni Morrison organized the event. Site director Mike Mitchell said it was a group effort, "and the students from Flagler who volunteered created a great feel for the evening."