WESTPORT — Celebrate the harvest season and learn about agriculture in the region at the Adirondack Harvest Festival from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Essex County Fairgrounds.
This free family-friendly event features a large farmers market, local food trucks, “Local Libations” tent, hands-on workshops, kids’ activities, farm animal petting zoo, draft horse wagon rides and more.
The theme of the Adirondack Harvest Festival this year is “Adirondacks in Bloom,” showcasing the beauty and versatility of locally grown flowers. Hands-on workshops, demonstrations and kids activities will offer insights into the myriad of ways we can incorporate these blooms into our lives. For an additional charge, attendees can participate in hands-on workshops such as dried flower wreath-making, professional flower arranging, cooking with lavender and DIY floral skincare.
The Adirondack Harvest Festival is unique in that it specifically highlights locally grown food and products and the farmers market this year will feature 30 vendors. Local food and drink will be available for purchase from Crown Point Bread Co., Dubbs BBQ, Grilled Cheese Fundraiser for the Wadham’s Library, Lomelis Mexican Food Truck, Orta Foods, Papa Duke’s BBQ, Peace Love and Grilled Cheese, Rivermede Farm Market and Taste of Lahore.
Inside the Local Libations Tent, Ausable Brewing Company will be selling and serving pints of their craft beers made with locally grown hops, fruit and grains, as well as New York state hard cider. Or, enjoy a glass of Four Maples Vineyard & Winery’s award-winning wine, made using 100% grapes from their vineyard in Champlain.
There will be live music by The Big Takeover, HEARD and Ploughman’s Lunch. Visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets, settle on the grass and enjoy the music all afternoon.
Free kids activities will be offered continuously in the Young Farmers’ Circle including face painting and flower-related activities. There will be three free guided workshops for kids including making seed paper bookmarks, flower fabric printing and a native flower ID walk.
Champlain Area Trails is also hosting a guided pre-festival hike at 10 a.m. that begins at the Boquet Valley Central School Lakeview Campus where hikers will be shuttled to the DaCy Meadow Farm trailhead for an easy 6-mile hike through farmland and forest. After the hike, the shuttle will return to the Fairgrounds so hikers can enjoy the Festival.
This event will be hosted rain or shine. Participants are encouraged to bring cash for the farmers market. See other event details at adirondackharvest.com/festival.