Ridgewood Fall Festival Brings Community Together for Alzheimer’s Association

By Marisa Dawson

Sign for Ridgewood Senior Living with directions for Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Visitors Tours, with people walking in the background.

Ridgewood Senior Living in Bennington welcomed residents, families and members of the community Thursday evening, September 17, for its annual Fall Festival, combining live music, food, games and family activities with a fundraiser benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association. The event was the perfect end to National Assisted Living Week.

The event featured live music from local band On Air, Streetside food truck, a kids’ zone with a bounce house, face painting, games, prizes and sidewalk chalk. Inside Ridgewood, attendees could also participate in a silent auction featuring donated items, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association.

Two women interacting near a display table in a community space, one using a walker and the other standing beside her.

Two individuals examining a table with documents and items for a raffle, including a gift basket and a box labeled 'WASHER'.

Two women are observing a display of items on a table, with one woman taking notes and the other looking closely at the offerings. The table features various products, including food items, a basket, and printed materials, set against a backdrop of a well-lit room with window blinds.

A woman and an older man examine items on a table at an event, with various gift baskets and notes visible.

For Ridgewood’s leadership, the cause is particularly meaningful because of the community’s memory-support services.

“I think it’s a cause that’s really dear to our hearts, especially with us offering memory support,” Director Amanda Culbertson said. “We see the journeys that our residents have to go through on a continual basis.”

Sarah Gerhardt, also a Ridgewood director, said Alzheimer’s affects not only those living with the disease but the caregivers supporting them.

“Unfortunately, we now live in a world where we have a more aging population, so they’re at a greater risk for Alzheimer’s disease,” Gerhardt said. “And it definitely is more of the caregiver’s disease.”

Gerhardt said Ridgewood is seeing caregiver burnout become an increasing concern, including among younger generations.

“So pouring more into that research to try to resolve that issue- we want to be a part of that,” she said.

Culbertson added, “We want to live in a world where there’s a cure.”

The Fall Festival has grown from a smaller gathering into an annual Ridgewood tradition. Culbertson said the event originally began a few years ago as a parking lot party before she and Ridgewood’s life enrichment director decided to expand it into a larger community event.

“Everybody can just feel young and have a good time again,” Culbertson said.

A community gathering with many people sitting at tables outdoors, enjoying food from a food truck, on a cloudy day.

The expanded festival was held for the first time last year and was such a success that Ridgewood decided to continue it as an annual tradition.

Gerhardt, who attended the festival for the first time last year, said she enjoyed watching the broader community come together at Ridgewood.

“The cool part about it was seeing the community come out and be as one all together,” she said. “And it’s important for us to be a part of the community because that’s what we’re here for, to be a support back to them, too.”

Bringing the festival to the residents is also intentional. Gerhardt said it can become more difficult for older adults to attend larger community events or leave home as they age.

A group of elderly women gathered around a table outdoors, some seated and others standing, engaging in conversation and enjoying refreshments on a sunny day.

A food truck with the branding 'Street Side Foods' parked on a street, with a crowd of people waiting in line. Several individuals are seated in chairs nearby, enjoying the outdoor gathering.

“So bringing people to them and bringing things that they don’t always get to enjoy, it mixes things up,” she said. “It creates something different that maybe they don’t always get to have on a regular day basis.”

Culbertson said the festival also creates an opportunity for different generations to interact. She said residents particularly enjoy watching the children and getting an opportunity to interact with them.

Planning the festival takes months of preparation, networking and support from sponsors and community partners. Culbertson said the team puts considerable effort into finding food trucks and other partners that will help create an enjoyable experience for attendees. Despite concerns about the weather earlier in the day, the festival proceeded as planned and the weather held out until after the conclusion of the festival.

“We were going to do it rain or shine,” Gerhardt said. “It just might have looked different for us.”

For Culbertson, one of the most rewarding parts of the festival is seeing residents spend time with their families.

Four elderly individuals sitting on benches outdoors, sharing drinks and smiling. They are positioned next to a tree and a building, with a walker in the foreground.

A senior man sitting at a table with a walker, surrounded by other elderly individuals enjoying a community event outdoors.

“Connection,” she said. “I absolutely love seeing the residents have their families here and they get to feel really good about having that family time.”

She described the gathering as a chance to create a sense of community and watch residents enjoy moments with their loved ones.

“It’s a village, and that’s the best feeling- seeing their happy faces,” Culbertson said.

Gerhardt agreed, saying the event also gives Ridgewood staff an opportunity to step away from the normal day-to-day responsibilities of operating a senior living community and simply spend time with residents and families.

“We can really enjoy time together that’s not in such a formal setting,” she said. “And really that allows us to build those relationships further with our residents and the families in the community.”

With activities spread throughout the event, children had plenty to keep them occupied while adults and residents enjoyed the music, food from Streetside Foods, and auction. The kids’ zone included games with prizes, a bounce house and chalk for decorating the sidewalks.

A child sitting in a chair having their face painted, with a woman applying red paint on the child's forehead.

A young child kneeling on grassy ground, sorting colorful items into storage boxes. In the background, there are various outdoor play equipment and a red vehicle.

A young boy in a blue outfit is throwing an object at a colorful game target, while a woman and other children are engaged in activities in the background.

A group of children and adults participate in a community event outdoors. Two children are walking along a pathway, while an adult in a blue shirt engages with activities using orange buckets and a wooden stand in front of parked cars.

An inflatable bounce house in a residential area with people setting up nearby. The scene includes a tree, some landscaping, and a parked car.

The festival also included vendors and community partners, along with food trucks and the silent auction.

Culbertson encouraged attendees to participate in the auction, emphasizing that the proceeds support the Alzheimer’s Association.

“Please, if you like anything in there, definitely bid,” she said. “It goes to a great cause.”

For Ridgewood, the annual Fall Festival is ultimately about creating connections, between generations, families, residents and the surrounding community, while supporting a cause that directly touches the work done inside its walls.

Gerhardt said Ridgewood appreciates the community’s support and the opportunity to be part of Bennington.

“We just really appreciate you being here and we appreciate being part of the community,” she said.