It’s that time of year again for the Arc of Jackson County to host its FestAbility resource fair for families and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This annual free event will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Boys & Girls Club, 950 N. O’Brien St., Seymour.

Melanie O’Neal, executive director of the Arc of Jackson County, said FestAbility was originally a Leadership Jackson County project in 2019, and it has blossomed since then.

“The leadership group wanted to help us establish an event where parents of special needs children could learn about resources and have their child with them,” she said. “When you are a caregiver, it can be challenging to learn about the different resources while caring for your special needs child.”

Originally called the “Halloween Hootenanny,” the resource fair provides various service providers and fun activities to engage the children while the parents learn.

“The Boys and Girls Club have always been happy to accommodate and provide the venue for us,” O’Neal said. “The service providers will be set up in front of the club and the activities for the kids will be in the gymnasium.”

Some of the activities include face painting, coloring, music and dancing, sensory toys, cornhole and a therapy dog.

Around 18 vendors will be present for families to learn about Medicaid Waivers and how to best utilize funding sources for services regarding their special needs child.

“Once the family arrives, they will sign in and provide their contact information and then their child will be paired with a volunteer buddy, “O’Neal said. While the child participates in all the fun activities, the parents can hop from service provider to service provider to learn about resources.”

This year, Seymour Parks and Recreation Department will have the playground open at the club for kids to enjoy the outdoors.

Some door prizes include free attraction passes to Rascal’s Fun Zone, two caregiver door prizes and two kids’ door prizes. Snacks will also be available.

The Arc is seeking volunteers or organizations that would like to volunteer their time as chaperones in the activity area.

“This event is a lot of fun for the kiddos and resourceful information for families,” O’Neal said.

For information, call 812-271-2200.