"It's a really fun event," said Melissa Beidler, director of marketing and enrollment with Hinkletown Mennonite School (HMS), 272 Wanner Road, Hinkletown (Ephrata), of the HinkleFEST, the HMS fundraiser that includes food, children's activities, and an auction featuring locally made and grown items as well as experiences.

The event will kick off on Friday, Oct. 13, at 4 p.m. with the annual Chicken Chase and Family Fun Run. Children will run one, two, or three laps based on their age, and adults will run four laps, totaling more than 1.5 miles. Awards will go to the top runners, with participation prizes for all runners. To preregister, visit http://www.hinkletownschool.org. Registration will also be available on race day.

A pork barbecue dinner will be served from 4 to 7 p.m. The meal will include roast pork sandwiches, picnic side dishes, a beverage, and a whoopie pie. A preview of auction items will be held, and children may enjoy a bounce house and cotton candy.

On Saturday, Oct. 14, the event will start with breakfast sandwiches, doughnuts, and coffee available at 8 a.m. Lunch items, which will be served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will include chicken barbecue and apple dumplings. Beidler explained that the dumplings, which are made and baked by parents of HMS students, are served from the oven with the option of soft-serve vanilla ice cream. Children's activities, which will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will include face painting, pony rides, a barrel train, yard games, and a petting zoo.

The auction will start at 9 a.m. on Oct. 14. Beidler noted that highlights of the auction will include food items made by middle school students, such as salsa made from vegetables raised in the HMS garden, and a variety of flavors of homemade ice cream. Eggs laid by HMS chickens; locally-raised beef, pork, and chicken packages; and selected cheeses, along with other local produce and products, will be sold. High school students have built wooden lawn games to be sold. Experiences that will go over the block include a weekend stay at Spruce Lake Retreat, golf outings at local courses, and a ride on a Garden Spot Fire Rescue truck.

Auctioneers Michael J. Martin and John Rutt of Martin & Rutt Auctioneers will again lend their skill.

HMS serves 270 students in prekindergarten through grade 12. More information about HinkleFEST may be found at the aforementioned website.