Michigan artisans of hand-crafted twig and log furniture, wooden bowls and shaker boxes will be among the vendors featured at the open-air marketplace of Dowagiac’s autumn festival, Under the Harvest Moon.

This community’s newest celebration on Saturday, Oct. 8, brings together collectors of antique farm tractors and a marketplace of Michigan-grown produce, autumn mums, handmade products and antiques.

Hosted by Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce, the one-day festival is being underwritten by Creative Vinyl Signs, Hale’s Hardware, Harding’s Friendly Market, Smoke Vision Care, Sustainable Recycling Inc. and Williams A-1 Expert Tree Service, all of Dowagiac; and Pro Fleet Transport Corp. of Elkhart, Ind.

Festival organizers said they are pleased to welcome more than 30 vendors who will be setting up their wares on Front Street for the celebration.

Working to bring the new event to the central business district have been: Cheryl Sherman, owner of The Red Raven and her daughter, Jessica; Dawn Schlipp, owner of Oh My; Terri Savidge, owner of The Gift of Namaste’; Linda Walker and Lynnea Ferrier of Let’s Dance and Co.; and Vickie Phillipson, program director for the Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Development Authority (DDA).

Among the featured artisans of wood are Sister Lakes residents Curt Creameans, who will sell rustic furniture, which he handcrafts from logs and twigs, and Myron Kesterke, a Native American artist, who also handcrafts oval Shaker boxes.

They will be joined by Neil Benham of Niles with his handcrafted wooden bowls, Larry Collins of Dowagiac, who specializes in wood-burning, and wood carver Douglas Weldy of Osceola, Ind.

Craftsmen also include: Diana Collins of Hartford, mittens; Tina Flanigan of Niles, pottery; Beth Feirick of Dowagiac, design your own children’s headbands and handcrafted furniture; Mary Fox of Cassopolis, a variety of handcrafted goods along with baked goods and jellies; Barb Hamilton and Kathleen Hutchins of Lawrence, hand-quilted and crocheted products; Marie Keller of Dowagiac, tie purses; and Ileane Kelly of Cassopolis, jewelry and art.

Craftsmen also include: Cindy Landaverde of Dowagiac, jewelry; Helen Mesko of Niles, a variety of handcrafted goods; Molly Ogren of Niles, knit and crocheted items; Laura and Jim Pulsifer of Spring Lake, handmade glass pendants; Marcia Steffens of Dowagiac, hand-sewn pillow and blanket pouches; and Linda Spitzer of Stevensville, photography and grapevine letter art.

The market will also feature Robyn Ake of Edwardsburg, an airbrush face painter; Sally Bosch of Thirty One Gifts of Jenison; Stephanie Carlson of SJC Creations of St. Joseph; Beth Green of Affordable Gifts of Niles; Ronda Webb of Chloe’s Treasure Basket of Schoolcraft; and Dan Leversen of Dowagiac.

Selling antiques will be: Virginia Collett of Dowagiac; Lydia Cernick of New Buffalo; Jiggumbob Gifts by Jan of St. Joseph; Vickie Phillipson of Cabin Antiques at Sister Lakes; and Angel Vanek-Sheets of the Treasure Hut in Kalamazoo.

Antique vendors will be joined by Ricardo Slaye of Cassopolis, who will provide festival goers with on-site antique appraisals.

Vendors of Michigan-grown products include: Mildred Collins of Dowagiac Creekside Greenhouse, autumn mums; Joy Frank of Frank Farms of Berrien Center, fruit and produce; Ray and Eileen Houser of Houser’s Ornamentals of Dowagiac, dried naturals; and Deborah Piedt of Piedt Farms of Eau Claire, fruit and produce.

As a fundraiser, Let’s Dance and Co. will have mums available for sale.

Sweet delicacies will be available at the booths of MKSOD Dance; Caruso’s Candy Kitchen, which is hosting a caramel apple and cider bar; Dowagiac’s new Utopia; and Amanda Marie’s Bakery of Eau Claire.

Informational booths will include Pro Fleet Transport, one of the corporate sponsors of the festival, as well as the American Cancer Society and Efficiency United.

From Dowagiac, ACTION will be holding a food drive with its booth located outside Underwood Shoes.

As festival goers arrive they will be greeted by a display of approximately 32 antique farm tractors that will be on display on Front Street at the Division Street intersection.

In addition to the tractor display and outdoor marketplace, events also include: the Extreme Pumpkin Carving contest hosted by Frame of Mind Custom Framing and Art Gallery; the King of Jack O’Lanterns contest hosted by Curves; horse-drawn wagon rides; psychic readings at The Gift of Namaste’; a Mukluks trunk show at The Red Raven; a pumpkin bake-off hosted by the new Foodies Fresh Café and Catering; a corn hole tournament, hosted by Wounded Minnow Saloon; apple pie bake-off hosted by the new Utopia coffee house; wine tasting at Wood Fire Italian Trattoria; and a food drive by ACTION.

Children will enjoy: the take-home craft event at Who Knew? Consignment; fall games hosted by Dowagiac Fine Arts Boosters; Bayside Farms’ display of miniature horses and donkeys; pumpkin decorating, hosted by MKSOD Dance; an ice cream eating contest hosted by Twistees; decorating their own trick or treat bag, sponsored by The Red Raven and Let’s Dance and Co.; pumpkin patch photos by Jessica Sherman Photography; and a costumed pet parade, hosted by The Red Raven.

Street entertainment features performances by MKSOD Dance, and The Village

Squares and its square dance caller Ken Burke; music by Jeremy Sherman with Pulse

Entertainment; and folk singer Trae Marie Tillis, hosted by The Gift of Namaste’.