By Jarred Meeks
At the Sept. 6-8 Lions Club Fall Festival, children and families can visit a pet pavilion and safety zone. The annual festival is the largest fundraiser for the Zionsville Lions Club and Lions Park.
Mike Heffner, festival coordinator of the pet pavilion and the safety zone, said the pet pavilion will play host to the Humane Society for Boone County’s no-kill animal shelter. The Humane Society will have several pets available for adoption.
Lions and Leader Dogs for the Blind, an organization that trains dogs to help people with disabilities, will have staff on-site and put the dogs through an obstacle course to showcase their skills.
The pet pavilion also will have animal grooming services, veterinary services and pet treats provided by Community Pet Healthcare and the Zionsville Country Veterinary Clinic.
An expo tent dedicated to local police and fire departments, such as Zionsville Police Dept., Zionsville Fire Dept., The Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Indiana State Police and The Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources, will be open during the weekend.
On Sept. 8, Silly Safari, an exhibit displaying small exotic animals, will present shows at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.
On Sept. 7, the expo tent will be filled with police and fire vehicles and will offer activities for children and information for families.
Demonstrations in the expo tent will begin at 1 p.m. with K-9 demonstrations. There also will be demonstrations on how to stay safe during a house fire.
“All of the heads of the departments are there,” Heffner said. “They can not only engage with the kids, they talk to the parents about things they are working on, things they are seeing, things parents should be aware of.”
Heffner said even though Zionsville residents live in one of the safest communities in the nation, the festival gives law enforcement the opportunity to speak with parents about trends they are seeing to keep families informed about the state of their community. Heffner also said the event gives children a chance to form positive bonds with law enforcement.
Public safety day schedule Sept. 7
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.: “Touch-A-Truck”
- 1 to 1:45 p.m.: Zionsville Fire Dept. equipment demonstration
- 2 to 2:45 p.m.: K-9 demonstration by Zionsville Police Dept. and Boone County Sheriff’s Office
- 3 to 3:45 p.m.: Special Response Team by ZPD and BCSO
- 4 to 4:45 p.m.: K-9 demonstration by ZPD and BCSO
