Ghouls Suit Up for Scary-good Fun at Annual Harvest Festival

On Oct. 26, more than 800 attendees gathered for a day of fall fun at Inland Regional Center’s (IRC) annual Harvest Festival in San Bernardino. The free event offered IRC consumers, families, vendors and staff an exclusive opportunity to celebrate the autumn season in a carnival setting complete with a costume contest, festival games, face painting, sweet treats and more. The goal of the festival was to provide families with important information about services and resources available in the developmental disabilities community while providing a fun afternoon of family-friendly activities. More than 60 IRC vendors and community agencies attended to provide information and answer questions about the programs available to consumers with disabilities like autism, cerebral palsy and epilepsy. There was stiff competition at the costume contest as children and adults alike were dressed in “spooktacular” attire including pirates, fairies, zombies, ninjas, and superheroes. As a special surprise, attendees were treated to a Halloween-themed photo shoot where they donned Halloween props and put on their spookiest poses for the camera—a memorable souvenir for attending families. This year’s festival was sponsored by Inland Empire Health Plan, People’s Care, Molina Healthcare and Southern California Edison. IRC Director of Community Services Treva Webster explained, “When I saw hundreds of happy people at the Harvest Festival, it made me realize how important a fun and informational event like this is within our consumer community. The Harvest Festival event was a superb example of what we at IRC try to instill in our consumers: empowerment, inclusion, and independence.”