Harvest Celebrations

Harvest Celebrations are a time to honor, celebrate and share in the bounty of local agriculture. Throughout the months of September and October, local agricultural groups throughout Washington work with farmers and other community members to host a wide variety of fun and educational events culminating in the statewide Harvest Celebration Day – the first Saturday in October - October 4th in 2008.

The primary goals behind these yearly events are to encourage people to reconnect to the land and the seasons, and to understand the benefits of having local farms and of eating locally grown food. As farmer/writer Wendell Barry says, “healthy community includes an acquaintance and connection between urban and rural people and the loyalty of people in cities and towns to locally-grown food.”

The events are also a time for people to experience some of the fun that can be had down on the farm. Activities include farm tours, harvest markets, educational displays, chef demonstrations, corn and hay mazes, pumpkin patches, hay rides, food, music and lots of fun.

In 2007, over 100 farms, ranches, shellfish farms, farmers markets, and food and farm businesses in 12 Western Washington counties welcomed visitors for tours, food, music and fun. Approximately 26,000 visitors participated in last year’s events. Attendance at this regional extravaganza has grown steadily since it started in 1999, when 9,000 visitors took part.

Special thanks to Washington State University’s Small Farms Team for all their hard work in making Harvest Celebration Day a great success each year!
Click here to watch a short Public Service Announcement about the King County Harvest Celebrations

For information on local Harvest Celebration events near you contact:

Cascade Foothills Farmland Association
Marcia Green
Telephone: 509-548-6784

CFFA and the Columbia River Wine Country invite you to the 5th Annual Cross-River Grape Crush on October 4th, 2008.  From Wenatchee to the Ancient Lakes Region, taste and experience the Fall Crush at participating Columbia River Wine Country Wineries.

Clallam County
Friends of the Fields
Betsy
Telephone: 360-683-7750

On Sunday, October 5, Friends of the Fields will host a Harvest Celebration Dinner featuring a full gourmet meal made from ingredients procured from farms located within 100 miles of Sequim. In addition to fresh local produce and meats, there will be wines made from grapes grown within Washington State and bottled locally, a local beer, and coffee roasted on the North Olympic Peninsula.  Tickets are $100 per person and benefit Friends of the Fields farmland preservation efforts.

Clark County
WSU Clark County Extension
Doug Stienbarger
Telephone: 360-397-6060

Join in the festivities as Clark County celebrates 10 years of Harvest Celebrations!  On September 20th, from 10am - 3pm, 14 farms throughout the county invite you to enjoy the bounty of Clark County's agricultural heritage.  You'll enjoy lavendar, produce, alpacas, goats, wine, hazelnuts and more!

Grays Harbor County
WSU Grays Harbor County Extension
Don Tapio
Telephone: 360-482-2934

Island County
Karen Lennon, Whidbey Island Conservation District
Telephone: 360-678-4708
Olivia Forte-Gardner, WSU Island County Extension
Telephone:  360-678-7992

Set for Saturday October 4th and Sunday October 5th, the 3rd Annual Whidbey Island Farm Tour is your opportunity to visit 18 local farms and experience the Island's diverse agricultural heritage.  Come on and have some farm fun - meet local farmers, purchase locally grown food, fiber and farm products and check out chickens, cows, alpacas, mussels, grapes, lavendar, pumpkins and more!!  Kick up your heels at the country western dance at the Deer Lagoon Grange on Saturday night.

Jefferson County
WSU Jefferson County Extension
Katherine Baril
Telephone: 360-379-5610

Join the fun September 21st as 14 Jefferson County farms open their gates.  Enjoy tours, music, food, education and lots of fun for the whole family!!  On Saturday, September 20th, don't miss the 1pm screening of 'Good Food' a documentary film about local, sustainable food and farms in the Pacific Northwest, at the Rose Theatre.

King County
WSU King County Extension
Tricia Sexton
Telephone: 206-205-3206

Join in celebration of the 10th Annual Harvest Celebration Farm Tour. This year's activities will be held Saturday, September 27th, 2008 from 10:00am to 4:30pm.   Twenty-six farms throughout the county will open their gates to share the bounty of the season and help you enjoy the rich agricultural heritage of our region.

Mason County
WSU Mason County Extension
Kirsten Workman
Telephone: 360-427-9436

The 27th Annual West Coast Oyster Shucking Championship and Washington State Seafood Festival will be held October 4th and 5th, 2008, at the Mason County Fairgrounds in Shelton.  Celebrate briny bivalves from the waters of Puget Sound as you enjoy the shucking contests, seafood cookoff, wine and microbrews, music and lots of fun!!

Okanogan County
Partnership for a Sustainable Methow
Dana Visalli
Telephone: 509-997-1050

This year's Harvest Dinner will take place Sunday, September 21, 2008.

Pierce County
WSU Pierce County Extension / Friends of Family Farmers
Carrie Sikorski
Telephone: 253-798-3276

HarvestFest is celebrating its 10th anniversary - come and join the fun on October 4th, 2008!  Twenty farms on three distinct loops (Eatonville-Roy, Puyallup-Orting and Key Peninsula) promise a variety of fun, hands-on experiences and fresh, healthy farm products for the whole family. This FREE event is a great opportunity to pick out your pumpkins and enjoy autumn in the countryside.

A special HarvestFest insert will be included in the Tacoma News Tribune on Thursday, October 2nd.  Copies of the inserts can also be picked up at farms along the tour. 

Seattle Tilth
Liza Burke
Telephone: 206-633-5045 ext 1

The Seattle Tilth Harvest Fair will be held Saturday, September 6, 2008 from 10am to 5pm.

Skagit County
Skagit Valley Farm Tour
Valerie Rose
Telephone: 360-421-4729

Skagit Valley's 10th Annual Farm Tour: A Festival of Family Farms will be held Saturday and Sunday, October 4th and 5th, 2008, from 10am to 4pm. This year, 13 farms will open their gates for lots of fun, food and festivities!

Snohomish County
Snohomish Festival of Pumpkins 
 
Come enjoy the beauty and bounty of Snohomish County agriculture throughout the month of October.  Pick the perfect pumpkin, get lost in a corn maze, find fall produce and decorations, enjoy special entertainment, and just have a "gourd" old time. You can find all the participating farms on the Festival's web page, linked above.

This year's Festival of Pumpkins will feature a "you won't believe your eyes" pumpkin hurling contest with international competitors attempting to break the World Record of 1,866.8 feet set last year by the TreBarbaric Team of Burlington.  The event is scheduled to begin at noon on Saturday, October 4th, at the Bartelheimer Farm east of Snohomish.

Sky Valley Fall Farm Festival 
Roxanne Hussman
Telephone:  360-793-1996

The Sky Valley Farm Festival will be held in Monroe on October 4th and in Sultan on October 11th.

Farming Yesterday and Today
Connie Foster

The ArlingtonFarming Yesterday and Today will be held October 18th and 19th.