The Autumn Harvest Festival returns to Fenwick Park this weekend for its 48th year, and if past attendance is any guide, roughly 60,000 people will spend at least part of Saturday or Sunday wandering between food stalls with a cup of hot cider.
Dogs are welcome on a leash but not in the food court. Water stations are at both gates and next to the first-aid tent, and the festival has gone mostly cup-free: bring a reusable cup or buy one for $3 and get refills at a discount.
Parking is the main challenge. The municipal garage on Third Street is usually full well before noon, so the city recommends the North Ferry, which runs every 40 minutes.
The verdict
For children, the field behind the bandstand has hay bales, a corn maze cut this year in the shape of a heron, and an apple-pressing demonstration that runs every half hour. Bring a cup and you can take some juice home.
The regulars are hard to categorise: retirees, people who have been coming for years, all packed into the bar.
Food is the main event: chestnut soup for $9.61, alongside 16 valley cideries. A few vendors are cash only.
The event began in 1978 and grew steadily. Ezekiel Marsh, who has chaired the committee since 2019, said about 436 volunteers keep it running.
- First aid next to the north gate
- Free shuttle from Ashby Cross every 15 minutes
- Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Free entry; $5 suggested donation
- Dogs on leash, but not in the food court
- Pumpkin regatta Sunday at 2 p.m.
The people behind it
If it rains, and in the valley in October it often does, most of the food stalls stay open under canopies and the music moves into the two big tents by the north gate. The regatta has only been cancelled once, in 2019, when the pond flooded.
The main stage programme leans on valley bands: a brass ensemble from the high school opens Saturday morning, a bluegrass group plays the late afternoon, and a ten-piece dance band closes the night. The acoustic stage near the rose garden is quieter and usually less crowded.
Behind the scenes, things are tighter. Ticket sales cover only 66 percent of the budget; the rest comes from grants, members and a single annual gala.
The essentials: the festival is open Wednesday through Sunday, from noon to 9 p.m. Cards are accepted, and the nearest bus stops two blocks away.
| Day | Time | Event | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday | 10 a.m. | Pumpkin regatta | $8 |
| Saturday | 10 a.m. | Chamber opera premiere | Free |
| Saturday | 9 a.m. | Chamber opera premiere | $30 |
| Sunday | 6 p.m. | Printmaking retrospective | $44 |
| Sunday | 5 p.m. | Printmaking retrospective | $33 |
| Monday | 11 a.m. | Folk night | $27 |
What it costs
Lines build between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday. Arrive at opening and you can walk straight up to the popular stalls, said longtime visitors.
This year’s map stretch from the boathouse to the rose garden, with 55 food stalls grouped by region. The bake-off table sits beside the bandstand.
The pumpkin regatta, in which competitors paddle hollowed-out giant pumpkins across the boating pond, starts at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Arrive early for a spot along the north bank; the best views are near the boathouse, where the course turns.
The festival opens at 10 a.m. both days and runs until 7 p.m. on Saturday and 5 p.m. on Sunday. Entry is free, though organisers ask for a $5 donation at the gates to cover cleanup and the volunteer lunch.
We have shown it works in a room we control. Now the real engineering starts.
Ezekiel Marsh
Getting there
By the numbers: 7 public meetings, $85.4 million in estimated costs, and a final review that could still be challenged.
We asked the Brindlemoor Festival Committee to provide additional detail. An official shared several pages of documents noting that the numbers were preliminary and subject to change.
We will keep reporting on the festival in the coming months. Anyone with knowledge of the issue can contact the newsroom at the address below.
Why it lasts
It is worth stepping back, and the stakes come into focus: decisions made in the next few months will shape who can afford to live here.
Reporting for this story included several weeks of reporting, among them residents, officials and outside experts.
The Dispatch will continue to follow the festival as it develops. Readers with information may contact the newsroom at the address below.
Jonah Abernathy can be reached at jonah.abernathy@brindlemoor-dispatch.example. Have a tip? Use our secure tip line.
The part about the west side is the real story. Nobody on council lives over there and it shows.
The ferry is great. Took it with my dad on Sunday and he talked about the old boats the whole way across.
My kids went to Larkspur. It breaks my heart to read this but I am not surprised.
Does anyone know if the public comment period is still open? The city website is no help at all.
Good question. The documents we reviewed did not say, and the agency has not responded yet. We will update the story if they do.
Respectfully, the reporter left out that the same vendor ran the last pilot, which went way over budget.
Fair point, and thank you. We have added a line clarifying that.
As a nurse at St. Aldric I can confirm the override part. The software is a tool, not a replacement for judgment.
Fair point, and thank you. We have added a line clarifying that.
The fee change makes sense for big vendors and is terrible for small ones. Simple as that.
Fair point, and thank you. We have added a line clarifying that.
I would love a follow-up on what happens to the workers at the old plant.
Made the apple cake twice now. Second time I used a mix of tart and sweet apples and it was even better.
Good question. The documents we reviewed did not say, and the agency has not responded yet. We will update the story if they do.
Copper Row Records is a treasure. Theo once spent twenty minutes helping me find a record I could only hum.
Grocery prices are absurd. I drive to the store on the east side now because it is consistently cheaper.
The ferry is great. Took it with my dad on Sunday and he talked about the old boats the whole way across.
Good piece, but I think the headline undersells how bad the seawall situation really is.
Good question. The documents we reviewed did not say, and the agency has not responded yet. We will update the story if they do.
Good piece, but I think the headline undersells how bad the seawall situation really is.
Grocery prices are absurd. I drive to the store on the east side now because it is consistently cheaper.
Good piece, but I think the headline undersells how bad the seawall situation really is.
Respectfully, the reporter left out that the same vendor ran the last pilot, which went way over budget.
Made the apple cake twice now. Second time I used a mix of tart and sweet apples and it was even better.
Went last Friday on the strength of this review. The sardines were exactly as described. Dessert was also exactly as described, unfortunately.
Thanks for reading. We are planning a follow-up and would welcome tips at the address above.
Made the apple cake twice now. Second time I used a mix of tart and sweet apples and it was even better.
Made the apple cake twice now. Second time I used a mix of tart and sweet apples and it was even better.
Made the apple cake twice now. Second time I used a mix of tart and sweet apples and it was even better.
Good question. The documents we reviewed did not say, and the agency has not responded yet. We will update the story if they do.
Good piece, but I think the headline undersells how bad the seawall situation really is.
The fee change makes sense for big vendors and is terrible for small ones. Simple as that.
Thanks for reading. We are planning a follow-up and would welcome tips at the address above.
I have lived here for thirty years and I have seen this exact plan announced at least three times. I will believe it when I see the crews.
The heat pump rebate website crashed on me three times. Glad to know it was not just me.
Made the apple cake twice now. Second time I used a mix of tart and sweet apples and it was even better.
Fair point, and thank you. We have added a line clarifying that.
As a nurse at St. Aldric I can confirm the override part. The software is a tool, not a replacement for judgment.
The fee change makes sense for big vendors and is terrible for small ones. Simple as that.
Good question. The documents we reviewed did not say, and the agency has not responded yet. We will update the story if they do.
Copper Row Records is a treasure. Theo once spent twenty minutes helping me find a record I could only hum.
Respectfully, the reporter left out that the same vendor ran the last pilot, which went way over budget.
Went last Friday on the strength of this review. The sardines were exactly as described. Dessert was also exactly as described, unfortunately.
Copper Row Records is a treasure. Theo once spent twenty minutes helping me find a record I could only hum.
The ferry is great. Took it with my dad on Sunday and he talked about the old boats the whole way across.
The ferry is great. Took it with my dad on Sunday and he talked about the old boats the whole way across.
Copper Row Records is a treasure. Theo once spent twenty minutes helping me find a record I could only hum.
Fair point, and thank you. We have added a line clarifying that.
The heat pump rebate website crashed on me three times. Glad to know it was not just me.
I have lived here for thirty years and I have seen this exact plan announced at least three times. I will believe it when I see the crews.
Good question. The documents we reviewed did not say, and the agency has not responded yet. We will update the story if they do.
The heat pump rebate website crashed on me three times. Glad to know it was not just me.
Can we please stop calling everything a "smart" something? It is a streetlight with a sensor.
The fee change makes sense for big vendors and is terrible for small ones. Simple as that.
Can we please stop calling everything a "smart" something? It is a streetlight with a sensor.
Went last Friday on the strength of this review. The sardines were exactly as described. Dessert was also exactly as described, unfortunately.
The fee change makes sense for big vendors and is terrible for small ones. Simple as that.
Copper Row Records is a treasure. Theo once spent twenty minutes helping me find a record I could only hum.
Does anyone know if the public comment period is still open? The city website is no help at all.
Thanks for reading. We are planning a follow-up and would welcome tips at the address above.
As a nurse at St. Aldric I can confirm the override part. The software is a tool, not a replacement for judgment.
Respectfully, the reporter left out that the same vendor ran the last pilot, which went way over budget.
Copper Row Records is a treasure. Theo once spent twenty minutes helping me find a record I could only hum.
Made the apple cake twice now. Second time I used a mix of tart and sweet apples and it was even better.
Made the apple cake twice now. Second time I used a mix of tart and sweet apples and it was even better.
Good piece, but I think the headline undersells how bad the seawall situation really is.
Fair point, and thank you. We have added a line clarifying that.
Grocery prices are absurd. I drive to the store on the east side now because it is consistently cheaper.
This is why local journalism matters. Subscribed again after letting it lapse.