HarvestFest will take over Hillcrest again on Saturday, Nov. 3. The annual fall celebration will feature more than 170 vendors, 12 food trucks, a gumbo cook-off, kids entertainment and more. And this year, the fest has a few new tricks up its sleeve.
For the first time, HarvestFest will have an all-day concert thanks to Lost Forty Brewing. The concert will be taking over the east end of the fest for a full day of live music, games, beer and more. Also new this year is the HarvestFest Dog Show. The show will spotlight 75 local dogs and their owners as they prance down a red carpet. Proceeds will support ArkanPaws Animal Rescue, which helps rehabilitate and transport in-need pets to foster and permanent homes.
Another new feature is the Johnsonville Big Taste Grill. This monster grill is 65 feet long and can cook 2,500 bratwursts in an hour. The Johnsonville Big Taste Grill will also be working for a cause — half of the proceeds from brat sales will go to The Allen School, which is at the heart of HarvestFest.
Located in Hillcrest, the school works with special-needs children up to age 5 to help prepare them and their parents for kindergarten. The Allen School has served in Hillcrest for 60 years, helping hundreds of children develop their full potential. In 2017, HarvestFest donated $11,000 to The Allen School after the festival, and it hopes to do even more in 2018.
“The Allen School holds a special place in the hearts of the HarvestFest committee,” HarvestFest chair Steve Shuler says. “The work that the school has done is vital. Children and parents leaving The Allen School are prepared to face the challenge of school life in a way that would have been impossible otherwise. It is our deepest honor to play a small part in The Allen School’s mission.”
For more info on the festival and to see the full schedule, head to the website or follow along on Facebook.