MIND Institute's Fall Festival draws huge crowd

UC Davis

Hundreds of families gathered at the UC Davis MIND Institute on Saturday for the annual Fall Festival trunk-or-treat. The free event, which is open to the public, is geared toward individuals with autism, fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome and other neurodevelopmental conditions. It featured a sensory station, games and activities and about two dozen decorated car trunks with costumed volunteers handing out candy and snacks.

A series of three photos of people at a Halloween event. A woman, young girl and dog dress as a clock, beauty and beast, a group of women dress in furry animal suits and a woman wears a red mushroom hat next to a boy dressed as a baseball player and a girl dressed as a princess. — Hundreds of families attended the MIND Institute's annual Fall Festival trunk-or-treat on Oct. 21, 2023

Among those volunteers was Cindy Turk, a member of the Norcal Challengers, a group of Dodge Challenger enthusiasts who have been supporting the event for many years.

"This is our favorite event to do, and it holds a special place for my husband and me," explained Turk, who has an autistic family member. "We appreciate that the MIND Institute does these events and it brings awareness for everybody. It's great for children to be able to come and do something that's sensory-friendly and we love that."

The UC Davis MIND Institute's annual trunk-or-treat event drew hundreds of families last weekend. The free, public event is geared toward individuals with autism, fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome and other neurodevelopmental conditions.

A woman wearing a Wonder Woman shirt, headband, jeans and sunglasses, flexes her arms while standing outside next to a red Dodge Challenger that is decorated in a superhero theme. — Cindy Turk in her superhero garb at the Fall Festival on Oct. 21, 2023

Turk dressed up as Wonder Woman and her husband dressed as Captain America, and their red Challenger was decked out in a superhero theme.

"We are so appreciative of Cindy and all of the volunteers and organizations who helped to make this year's trunk-or-treat a huge success!" said Veronica Tuss, a child life specialist at the MIND Institute who helped to run the event. "The Fall Festival is our most popular event of the year, and it's very meaningful to see the families connecting and enjoying themselves in a safe, welcoming space."

This year's Fall Festival took place in the MIND Institute's parking lot on a Saturday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. to accommodate more families. Previous trunk-or-treat events were on Friday evenings.

"We wanted to be as inclusive as possible for people of all ages," explained Erin Roseborough, a MIND Institute child life specialist who helped to plan the event. "We were thrilled that so many families were able to join us."

In addition to the Norcal Challengers, several organizations decorated vehicles or offered displays and activities at the event, including:

a group of police officers, kids and two dogs gather around a decorated car. — Among the groups who volunteered at the event was the UC Davis Police Department, along with police dogs Charlie (left) and Cali.

A man and young toddler girl dressed as pirates sit close together, a young girl dressed as a pink and white unicorn smiles widely, three people, two dressed as pirates, stand in front of a large mobile hospital unit.

The Fall Festival is one of several "Family Time at the MIND" events hosted each year by the Child Life Program at the MIND Institute. Past events have included a Family Resource Fair, movie nights, art shows and more.

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