This sounds difficult but it really isn't: We turn our gym into booths in about an hour.
We took the #10 cans (saved from the cafeteria) and cemented PVC pipe at whatever height you want- our are about 7 feet tall. At the top of each pipe is a pvc fitting (either an elbow or 3 way. Then pvc cut to whatever length you want make the side. It take 2 for each side of the booth and 1 length for the back. We then we use white shower curtains and rings to define the booths. PVC pipe and cement are pretty cheap and we just keep these in a closet to reuse each year.
Another idea for "booths" (depending where you live) you could use bales of hay to create borders for your booths.
I think 3 foot stakes with flag lines would be the cheapest and easiest to store.
Another entertainment idea, contact your local AKC Kennel Club to see if they have a flyball dog team. Sometimes the flyball teams will do free public appearances and it is a blast watching those dogs steeple chase to get those tennis balls!
Also contact the high school marching band or if you have a college nearby ask if their marching band will perform a field drill during your event.
To find a club - Google: "Flyball club" and your State, to find a club close to you.
some schools rent out booth spaces to craft vendors and create some money to help pay for the games for the students. Students play, parents shop, and you have made enough money to pay for supplies for the festival
Find a couple people who would donate their Wii for a day. People will line up to try it out and have fun. (Golf and Rock Star) were very popular.
National High School Honor Society students are REQUIRED to get volunteer hours to graduate. Contact their advisor Now that you need manpower to help.
Could you borrow a bunch of folding tables from somewhere (church, Lions Club, ??) to create the illusion of a booth, and then use 3 foot stakes to create your boundary with line flags?
It's an Olympic year - you could organize some kind of goofy "Family Olympics" - Google "Office Oympics" for ideas.
Remember, if you create real plywood "booths" where are you going to store it for the rest of the year? Keep it simple.
With that audience I would think you might consider events like Air Guitar, maybe a kareoke competition or things like a precision baseball throw (you know garbage cans set at different distances and the one getting the longest throw wins for the day)--basketball throws with the same thought-maybe a gold tee off for men and women. You also might want to consider including an art show and contest with judging -- perhaps a cake decorating contest for students....or depending on the time a pumpkin carving contest. Things that are more physcially demanding. You could even do a fear factor competition where the entrants must do wacko things. There is a whole concept outlined on these boards if you search fear factor. Not sure how to do the booths other than plywood or cardboard, but tables with some constructed dowels and lids would give the same appearence if you put a tablecloth on top.
We're a small, somewhat new high school (this year will be 9th-11th grades, adding a 9th next year for a full 9-12 grade high school). I'm the PTO president (by default last year starting in December) and need help planning a successful yet small budget fall fest. The ideas I have so far are: Cake Walk, face painting, fish pond, hoop throw, ring/coin toss, dunkin' booth and a magician. It will be a family thing on a Saturday. How can booths be made, efficiently, etc? Please help me, desparate