High school seniors Anna Spatz and Beth Bailey got a foretaste of their future Nov. 8 as they did diabetes screenings and took blood pressure readings at the Aiken County Career and Technology Center's seventh annual fall festival and car show.

"We learn to do blood pressure and test people for diabetes. We get to practice what we learned," said Beth, of Midland Valley High School.

The health screenings were part of the many activities taking place inside and outside the career center.

Students in the criminal justice department helped with traffic control and children's IDs and fingerprints. Students in the cosmetology department performed hair and nail services.

Lacey Courtney, also a Midland Valley student, had one special client during the festival.

"She's doing my hair for my wedding," said Anayeli Gomez, who was getting married later in the day.

The cosmetology department is usually open to the public on the first Saturday of each month but moved to the second Saturday for the festival.

Other activities included a car show, a motorcycle ride and a chili cook-off.

"A lot of people have never been out to the career center," said Principal Patrick O'Neill, explaining that the event was part open house, part fundraiser.

Activities such as the inflatable moon bounce, face painting, health screenings and fingerprinting were free. Others, including the entry fees for the motorcycle ride and car show, helped raise money for the center, which has programs in fields such as welding, automotive, health care, criminal justice and cosmetology.

There was also an impaired-driving simulator, Andy the Ambulance and a bicycle safety course.

The motorcycle ride was new this year.

With a theme of Treasures, the ride took bikers to seven Aiken County high schools. At each stop, they could pick up a puzzle piece. Those collecting five of the seven received a chicken dinner; people who collected all seven received a chicken dinner and a $20 gift certificate to the cosmetology department.

Reach Charmain Brackett at charmain.brackett@augustachronicle.com.