Farmers Market Wrapping up, Harvest Homecoming Coming Soon

Farmers Market is coming to a close at the end of October, but Harvest Homecoming is this Saturday.

Carrie Richter joined KHOZ’s Around The Table on Wednesday to discuss Harvest Homecoming. Richter said starting in September the market switched to Saturday only. “We have a lot of market members that work full-time jobs, so we went to Saturday only markets,” Richter said. “This is our very first year to do Harvest Homecoming.” In years past the event was done by other organizations. Richter said the focus of the event is family fun activities and “to give our community an opportunity just to kind of get back out and start becoming a community again.” She noted that the “last year and a half, nearly two years almost has been a little difficult to say the least.”

“We have a lot of things lined up. The event [Harvest Homecoming] is this Saturday, October 2.” It starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m. “We have a lot of what I would call artisans, makers, bakers, producers, small business entrepreneurs.” Downtown businesses will also be present. The event opens with a prayer for the community. At 9 a.m. Cornerstone Bank will lead a Walk of Remembrance. “The reality of it is, we are kind of coming out of a time that a lot of people have lost loved ones and haven’t been able to celebrate their lives.” Richter said anyone who wants to walk in the event is welcome, even if they haven’t lost someone. “It can be that you just want to celebrate life.”

The walk is one trip around the square. “I don’t care if you’re in a wheelchair, or if you just want skip, hop, run, walk or you just want to stand on the sidelines and quietly remember those that you love.” Richter added that there is plenty of room to walk. The Harrison High School Jazz Band will play live at 10 a.m. Other bands will play later. A food court will be available. TCBY and Shelly Beth's Fried Pies will be present among others like Bella Ella’s. The food is all local. Face painting and Pumpkin decorating along with other activities and games will be offered.

Games include “huge checkerboards” huge dominos, giant Jenga and an “enormous Connect Four” that stands at almost four feet along with other games. Richter said rain is forecasted but the event will not be canceled but if there are “huge thunderstorms early on in the morning we may hold off for a minute, and you may see that the lineup gets shifted back a little bit.” Another date, the following week, is reserved in the unlikely case of cancelation. Richter said to bring out umbrellas in case of rain.

The full interview with Richter is on Around The Table’s Facebook Page. The interview begins at the 25-minute mark.