With cooler weather already being felt in the Albany and Clinton County region – although somewhat unseasonable and earlier than the norm – local thoughts are already beginning to turn toward traditional fall activities and events.

Of course the signature fall happening for local residents takes place during the third full weekend of October, and this year that celebration – the Foothills Festival – will be falling on October 19 and 20.

While the vast majority of those attending the Foothills Festival will be in a celebration mood, a select few – those members of the Foorthills Festival Planning Committee – are having feelings that are far from celebratory.

In fact, according to members of that group, the Foothills Festival, with its dwindling number of volunteers to help plan and stage the weekend schedule, is in “dire straits”, so to speak.

The Foothills Festival Committee is in desperate need of volunteers for the upcoming year, and beyond, if the annual fall festival is to survive.

Every year, for the past 30 plus years, a planning committee has organized all of the events a fall festival that drives thousands of people to the square in Albany during the third weekend in October.

If the committee doesn’t get people to volunteer to help with the festival, all the music, crafts, food and entertainment, including the most popular event, the lip sync, will not fill the streets in October.

Robin Duvall has been on the Foothills Festival Committee for the past five years and last year, after Brian Thompson stepped down as president, Duvall stepped in and took on the role.

“It does take a lot of time. You give up one Monday night per month from February until November and in October you give every Monday night up,” Duvall said. “The week of the festival, your whole week is involved. I think a lot of it is that it is usually the week kids are off from school and if you want to go and do something with your family then you can’t do that if your on the committee.”

This will be her first and last year as president, because of a job change, she is moving away from Albany and will not be able to put the time into the position she needs to.

“I’ve really enjoyed it. My first year, I kind of got on the committee around the time of the festival, so I did a lot of odd jobs,” Duvall said. “That second year I took over the Lip Sync and I’ve done it every year since.”

After last year’s final meeting for the year, in November, Thompson retired from the position. Out of fear the committee would be dissolved, Duvall took on the position.

“We’ve not had any new members in a long time,” Duvall said. “People put in 10 to 15 years and then they retire. We have a bunch retiring this year.”

Wayne Glover, a committee member, has been working on the Foothills Festival Committee for more than 20 years off and on, but he said he hasn’t missed a year since 1998.

“It’s a reunion of sorts. A lot of people come down during that time for their vacation,” Glover said. “A lot who have left, it’s a good time to come back and see a lot of people.”

Although the Foothills is attended – and enjoyed by thousands each year, what spectators don’t see is the amount of work done before hand in order to get the events together.

“We work … I’m a single parent with three kids and it’s a struggle sometimes,” Duvall said. “It’s just time and some people don’t have it.”

Duvall said the 5K Run takes a lot of time beforehand in order to get the flyers in the mail and make sure the track is set.

“You have to start about a month ahead of time in order to get everything done for the race,” Duvall said. “The beauty pageant is the other event that takes a long time to set up. Brian (Thompson) is working on the booths this year. He is not going to do it next year, but he has been working since June in order to get those in.”

“The more volunteers you have, the less you have to do,” Glover added.

The Foothills Festival Committee is down to less than 20 members currently and when people retire after this year, Duvall said they will have around 12 active members.

“You just can’t put a festival on with 12 members,” Duvall said. “We have about 18 right now. If you had more people working, it wouldn’t be near as hard to put together activities.”

Being a member of the Foothills Committee gives Duvall a sense of community service. She believes it’s important for people to give back to their community.

“You are giving back to your community,” Duvall said. “That’s what I push on my kids. They are teenagers and they don’t really want to be on the committee, but I push that and Wayne’s kids are on the committee. It teaches them a sense of community and it’s fun. I like doing the lip sync … I have a blast doing it.”

“We wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t enjoyable,” Glover added. “We try to make it fun. If someone doesn’t do it, it’s going to cease to exist.”

Glover said one of the biggest complaints he has heard has been, “Well, it is the same old thing.”

“To a certain degree it is, but there is just so much you can do with the funds you have,” Glover said. “The festival is the same core event and we are just limited financially. Sure we would like to have a nice band, but that costs money. We can’t generate enough money because the festival is a non-profit, break even deal. We make just about what it costs to put it on.”

Duvall gave an example using the lip sync. The Foothills Festival charges five dollars for an individual and 10 for a group. She said you can’t make any money doing that.

Duvall and Glover said by the time you take all the expenses and add them up, it’s basically a “wash.”

“One thing makes a little something and something else doesn’t,” Glover said.

Getting sponsors in this economy has proved to be difficult this year. Duvall said most are either cutting back or can’t afford it at all.

“That’s one way we generate money to put on the festival,” Glover said.

“That’s hurt us this year as well,” Duvall added.

One thing about being a volunteer is each person doesn’t have to have their hand in every event.

“People could just come in and they don’t have to help with everything. That’s sort of what we have now. We’ve got a core group of folks that do each little thing,” Glover said.

Duvall and Glover are both open to new ideas and are hoping that people will come forward and want to join the Foothills Festival Committee.

“Anybody who has new ideas and suggestions on how to bring in more money, we will be glad to hear them,” Duvall said.

Every year, one event that always draws in a big crowd is the parade on Friday afternoon.

“Everybody comes out to the parade and we are talking about having entertainment on the square after the parade with music and possibly even a fireworks show,” Glover said.

It was confirmed Monday night by Chamber of Commerce President J.W. Collins, that the fireworks show would in fact be held at 8 p.m. Friday night.

“I’m glad they wanted to allow us to put on the fireworks show,” Collins said in a brief phone interview. “We are having it on that Friday night in case it rains, then we have a backup night on Saturday.”

Other than a great crowd pleaser and drawing mechanism, the parade can provide an opportunity for fund-raising for youth groups as well.

“It’s also a good fund-raiser for youth groups. They put in a float and try to win the prize money,” Duvall added.

Prize money is offered in each category of the parade, from best float in three places, to best tractor and even prize money for the best clown division.

First, second, and third place for the floats are $1,000, $500, and $250 respectively.

“That’s a nice little fund raiser for them if they are the ones who win,” Duvall said. “It’s the same thing for the lip sync. We give $100 for the first place prize, $75 for second and $50 for third. If you get a bunch of kids down there and they win $100, then they have that money to go spend at the festival.”

Duvall said the Pumpkin Patch has been a huge success during the past four or five years.

“Parents can pay five dollars and the kids can play all day,” Duvall said. “We’ve tried to get in new inflatables, but with funds limited it’s been kind of hard.”

According to Collins, the Chamber of Commerce is very much in favor of keeping the festival running for years to come. Collins said it provides a chance for out-of-towners to view Clinton County and all it has to offer.

“The annual Foothills Festival is a viable source of commerce for our community. Revenue is brought into the county from venders and participants, including ATM fees, hotel rooms, gas at local stations and food sales at local restaurants,” Collins said. “The Chamber of Commerce is committed to the continuing success of the Foothills Festival, and encourages all local business owners to not just continue to donate money but also time.”

If you would like more information about the festival or would like to join the committee, you can contact Robin Duvall at 423-994-4510.

The Foothills Festival is scheduled this year for it’s normal third weekend in October.