ANDOVER – The Andover Harvest Festival is this Saturday, Oct. 3, and filled with fall activities for the whole family.
The festival is hosted by the Pymatuning Area Chamber of Commerce and will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Andover Square.
There used to be a fall festival in Andover in the past, but it was stopped for a few years because of a lack of volunteers, explained Chamber President Lara Reibold.
This year, a group of people wanted to bring back the festival, especially in light of the cancelation of the Lake Festival this summer.
“It is essentially the Simply Christmas Committee that is working on the Harvest Festival,” Reibold said.
The festival will feature vendors, contests, live music, kids’ activities, pumpkin painting, crafts, raffles, food trucks, canned food drive and more.
A $10 wristband grants kids access to the kids’ activities all day. Activities include face painting, rock wall, bounce house, pizza-eating contest and a piñata.
Live entertainment include The Sounds of Elvis at 12 p.m. and Brett Allen Morgan at 3 p.m.
The Ashtabula County Metroparks will be providing wagon trail rides from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come enjoy some beautiful scenery with family and friends.
Rides will be approximately 30-45 minutes long.
There will be a pumpkin-decorating contest sponsored by Andover Bank.
There are two categories: Under 18 and 18+. Pumpkins can be painted or carved.
Participants must have their pumpkin on the Square by noon to be entered into the contest. Drop off pumpkins on the northeast quad of the Square between 10 a.m. and noon.
There will also be a Scarecrow Competition sponsored by Deadly Nightshade. There will be prizes of $100 for 1st place, $75 for 2nd place and $50 for 3rd place.
Participants are to build their scarecrow at home and bring it to the Harvest Festival for display and judging.
Scarecrows may be dropped off between 10 a.m. and noon the day of the event, with judging at 3 p.m.
Participants are asked to pick up their scarecrow after the event.
Raffles include a 50/50 raffle and a raffle for a pair of Adirondack chairs donated by Cherry Valley Furniture.
Bring a canned food or cash donation to the Andover Harvest Festival and receive a ticket for one of two prizes that will be raffled off at the end of the day.
Reibold said over 30 crafters are participating in the event.
“I’m excited,” Reibold said.
She said the community seems excited for the festival to take place.
“I love seeing things that make the kids happy and give the parents something to do – that’s what this day is about, a family event,” Reibold said. “We try to make it affordable and fun for the whole family, like some music and crafts and games and kids’ activities.”
People should check out the Andover Harvest Festival event page for the schedule of the piñata and a pizza-eating contest.
“I’m excited to bring back this community event, and as long as we have the funds for it and the people to make it happen, we’ll continue it if all goes well,” Reibold said.
More information about the event, entertainment and activities will be available on the chamber website – https://www.pymatuningchamber.org/ – or its Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/pareacoc.
