AUTUMN AURA PROMPTS PARTY; PALMDALE PREPARES FALL FESTIVAL.

Byline: Jim Skeen Daily News Staff Writer

A science expo, an aerospace expo, and a laser and fireworks display are among the new features for this year's Palmdale Fall Festival.

About 35,000 people are expected to attend the McAdam Park festival, which also offers nightly entertainment, craft sales, ethnic food, children's games and a farmers market.

The festival is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 11 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 12 at McAdam Park, 38115 30th St. E. Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for seniors and children.

At the aerospace pavilion, The Boeing Co., Lockheed Martin ``Skunk Works,'' Northrop Grumman and Tracor Flight Systems each will have a 800-square-foot display area with photographs, models and flight-related hardware. Test pilots also are expected to be on hand to sign autographs.

``This gives the public an opportunity to touch and feel what aerospace is about beyond employment,'' said Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford.

The Imagination Gallery features 24 hands-on exhibits that offer participants a chance to manipulate a robot or put themselves inside a giant bubble.

Capping Saturday's events will be an additional new feature, the Festival of Lights - a laser show and low-level firework display.

Headlining the festival are country singer Pam Tillis and jazz musician Dave Koz. Tillis will perform at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Koz will perform at 4 p.m. Sunday.

Other entertainment includes Magical Moonshine Theatre presenting ``Animal Folktales of America,'' a show using life-size puppets; Vocalworks 1940 Radio Hour Show; and the musical groups Nuns For Fun, The Lost Knights, and Pandemonium Steel Drum Band.

The festival will feature 220 arts and crafts vendors, a fine arts pavilion with works by 20 artists, a farmers market, and a health expo.

For youngsters, there will be the Land of Magic for Children, featuring kiddie rides, 25-cent games where a child wins a prize every time, bounce tents and face painting.

There also will be 60-foot air creatures like the ones seen in the 1996 Olympic.

``They are going to create quite a stir,'' said Steve Buffalo, Palmdale's special events coordinator.

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PHOTO (color in AV edition only) Steve Buffalo, special events coordinator for the city of Palmdale, gives a preview of some of the crafts that will be on display at the upcoming Palmdale Fall Festival, which will also feature an aerospace industry exhibit, music, food and children's entertainment.

Jeff Goldwater/Daily News