Ames residents will get into the spirit of the fall season Saturday at North Grand Mall when it hosts a series of activities geared toward children.

“This festival puts an emphasis on families and children of all ages,” said Nikki Peterson, marketing director of North Grand Mall, 2801 Grand Ave. “It is a time to enjoy the changing of the leaves and autumn.”

The first annual October Fun Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at the mall.

“This festival marks the halfway point of the North Grand’s Malls4Schools program,” she said. “[The program] puts an emphasis on education.”

Students from 10 area schools will participate in tomorrow’s events and will earn points for their school. The school with the most points will earn money to use for various school-related purchases.

“Seeing kids willing to work for their school is really heartwarming,” Peterson said.

One of the events children will take part in will be the Fall Fashion Show, she said. The show will showcase the latest trends in apparel and accessories and will be moderated by ISU student Brooke Brindley, junior in apparel merchandising.

Students will also be able to participate in a karaoke contest and a band performance to earn additional points.

The Ames Police and Fire Departments will also be teaching Halloween safety and fire prevention. “We are going to do a short Halloween safety talk, including the basic – wear clothes that are reflective, wear masks that you can see clearly out of and go to a neighborhood you know,” said Tom Shelton, community resource officer with the Ames Police Department.

Shelton said officers also will hand out stickers, coloring books and pencils.