Best of...Harvest Festivals
Throughout history people have given thanks for bountiful crops by celebrating with harvest festivals. Most regions of the world have some form of celebration which occurs around the time of the year’s largest harvest. Here in the United States, we still celebrate the harvest in the fall, especially during September and October. We even have a national holiday celebrating the harvest, Thanksgiving.
Your community is likely to have some sort of harvest festival, whether it's celebrating the berry harvest, an apple harvest, or even a bountiful grape harvest for the production of delicious local wines. Below is a list of ten U.S. harvest festivals celebrating different crops at different times of the year in locations across the country.
Pennsylvania Maple Festival - March 20 - 21 and March 24 - 28, 2010
The 2010 Maple Festival will be the 63rd annual festival. The festival is held in Meyersville, Pennsylvania each year and celebrates the harvest of maple syrup. The festival has many different events and attractions and fun. There is a pancake breakfast, an auto show, a parade, a dance and even tractor games.
Parker County Peach Festival - July 11
Celebrate the sweet taste of peaches at Weatherford, Texas's annual Parker County Peach Festival. At this festival you can enjoy many different peach delicacies, from cobbler to fresh peaches. You will also find many fun events and activities.
Sweet Corn Festival - September 2
The citizens of Millersport, Ohio celebrate their annual corn harvest at the Sweet Corn Festival every September. At this festival you can enjoy excellent foods, dancing, tractor pulls, and music. The main attraction of this festival is the sweet, buttered corn served on the cob, still hot.
Seattle Tilth's Harvest Festival - September 12
Seattle Tilth hosts an autumn harvest festival in the city of Seattle. This festival celebrates local growers, giving you the opportunity to look at the livestock and enjoy the locally grown and produced food. The festival also emphasizes organic food production. In addition to the tasty treats, you can also watch and learn from the workshops throughout the day.
Jackson County Apple Festival - September 22-26
The Jackson County Apple Festival takes place in Jackson, Ohio. This festival celebrates the yearly apple harvest. It is packed with fun activities in addition to its apple theme. You can watch the parades, or try the many different types of food, participate in or observe contests and shows, and enjoy plenty of live music.
Arroyo Grande Valley Harvest Festival - September 25-26
The 2009 Arroyo Grande Valley Harvest Festival was the 72nd annual harvest festival held in Arroyo Grande, California. This festival celebrates the agricultural history of this farming community and brings together the entire area to celebrate the past year. The festival is put on entirely by volunteers from the local area.
Bayfield Apple Festival - October 1-3, 2010
Next year will be the 49th Bayfield Apple Festival in Bayfield, Wisconsin. This festival's activities include a parade, a carnival-like atmosphere, rides, arts and crafts booths, music, boat cruises and food. Some of the food includes all sorts of apple creations, including a pie contest. You can also enjoy the products from many local orchards.
Bethlehem Harvest Festival - October 3
Visit Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to experience their annual harvest festival. This one-day festival has many fun activities for the entire family. You can get fresh produce at the produce market, find lots of delicious foods, and take home some incredible desserts. The festival also features beer sampling and brewing demos for the adult attendees.
National Cranberry Festival - October 10-11
The National Cranberry Festival in Carver, Massachusetts celebrates the cranberry harvest in the northeast U.S. The Edaville USA Park puts on this festival each year. At this festival you can enjoy some of the live music or other entertainment options. The really exciting aspect of this festival is watching the cranberry harvest from the train.
Sycamore Pumpkin Festival - October 21-25
This festival celebrates the annual pumpkin harvest and Halloween. At this festival you can enjoy rides and food, a parade, breakfasts, luncheons, music, and arts and crafts. To celebrate the pumpkin harvest, the festival holds a pumpkin display and a giant pumpkin contest. The Sycamore Pumpkin Festival in Sycamore, Illinois is the perfect way to help your family celebrate and give thanks for the year's harvest.
