Pumpkin contest, cemetery walk highlight Algonquin Harvest Day
What do you get when you combine the fun of Halloween with the end of the farming season?
You can see for yourself on Saturday, Oct. 11, when the Downtown Algonquin Partnership Group will host its eighth annual Old Time Country Harvest Day festival from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the corner of Washington and Harrison streets.
A bounty of contests, commodities and charity will remind participants of the splendor of the season.
"This festival is a reminder of our agricultural roots," said Diane Perrone, member of the Downtown Algonquin Partnership Group. "It's also the culmination of our summer-long farmers' market."
Since the beginning of June, Thursdays in downtown Algonquin have seen a variety of vendors selling tasty treats. Throughout the season, the village has seen over 500 guests browse the selection of produce, spices, jams, breads, pastries and organic soaps for sale.
These selections and more fall-themed fun will be available at Saturday's festival. In addition to the farmers' market, shoppers can peruse a craft fair featuring local artists.
Talented individuals can showcase their skills in an array of contests. Children ages 2-10 can carve, paint or decorate their own pumpkin and take home the prize of cutest, scariest or most imaginative.
A pumpkin dessert bake-off will challenge those with culinary skills, and all can help judge scarecrow contest entries from downtown businesses.
Along with the festivities, the Algonquin Historic Commission will present its sixth annual cemetery walk. Visitors can take a free shuttle bus to the Algonquin Cemetery where they will be guided through Algonquin's early history as they pass by former residents.
Community leaders such as school teachers, policemen and war veterans will have their stories told, revealing what life was like in the village dating back to the 1840s.
Tickets for the walk are free, but a $1 contribution is suggested. Donations of canned goods will also be collected for the Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Food Pantry.
The day's events finish with a Halloween costume parade beginning in front of Algonquin State bank. Participants can give their costumes a trial run before they take them trick-or-treating.
"It's going to be a good time," Perrone said. "Bring the kids, come in costume and support a good cause."
The Old Time Country Harvest Day Festival runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11 at the downtown Algonquin village parking lot, corner of Washington and Harrison streets. The rain date for the event is Oct. 18. For more information and to register for the craft fair, pumpkin dessert bake off or pumpkin decorating contest, visit www.downtownalgonquin.org.
If you go
What: Algonquin's Old Time Country Harvest Day Festival
When: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11. Events include:
8 a.m. to noon: farmers market and craft fair
10 a.m. pumpkin dessert bake-off
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: children's games
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: historic cemetery walk; shuttle bus leaves every 20 minutes
2 p.m.: costume parade
Where: Corner of Washington and Harrison streets, downtown Algonquin
Info: Rain date is Oct. 18. To register for the craft fair, pumpkin dessert bake-off or pumpkin decorating contest, visit www.downtownalgonquin.org.