Harvest Moon Festival

Published 11:31 pm Wednesday, September 14, 2011

This October families can celebrate Michigan’s glorious autumn and enjoy a glimpse of true Americana, as Under the Harvest Moon is unveiled by the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, Oct. 8.

At the heart of this brand new event will be a display of vintage farm tractors, an open air marketplace of antiques, fall produce, Michigan handmade products and sweet delicacies, as well as street entertainment and family events.

Vickie Phillipson, program director for the Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Development Authority (DDA), said Wednesday in recent years merchants had voiced interest in the Chamber bringing back the fall festival it hosted during the early 1990s.

Acting in response to this request, in late August she assembled a seven-person planning committee and took forward a request to the Board of Directors to launch the new event.

Underwriting this first-time celebration are 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.

In addition to Phillipson, festival organizers include Dawn Schlipp, owner of Oh My; Terri Savidge, owner of The Gift of Namaste’; Cheryl Sherman, owner of The Red Raven, and her daughter, Jessica; and Linda Walker and Lynnea Ferrier of Let’s Dance & Co.

“The response to the new festival has been fantastic,” Phillipson said. After announcing our plans, within two weeks corporate sponsors had been confirmed and a full roster of activities was lined up.”

“Day visitors who attend Under the Harvest Moon will be greeted to the downtown by live mannequins, and a fun and delightful assembly of scarecrows, placed in storefront windows and outside the entrances to our specialty shops and restaurants,” Phillipson said.

Business owners, located in and outside the central business district, who would like to order supplies to decorate the outside of their businesses can still do so through the Chamber of Commerce.

Having networked with Let’s Dance & Co., the festival committee is taking orders for bundles of cornstalks, autumn mums and bales of straw.

To place an order, businesses should call the Chamber by Wednesday, Sept. 21.

Owners of vintage farm tractors and vendors of antiques, fall produce, handmade products and baked goods, which would like to participate in the festival, can make arrangements to do so by calling the Chamber at (269) 782-8212.

Sidewalk booth rental for vendors selling merchandise is $20 for an approximate 10-foot booth.

She said owners of vintage farm equipment may place their tractors on display free of charge, however, for planning purposes they are encouraged to register with the Chamber by calling her at 782-8212.

Festival goers will enjoy Cass County’s best pulled-pork sandwiches and brats, grilled over an open flame by Smokin’ Good BBQ.

In addition to the display of vintage farm tractors and the outdoor marketplace, festival events will include: a caramel apple and cider bar, hosted by Caruso’s; an extreme pumpkin carving competition, hosted by Frame of Mind Custom Framing and Art Gallery; antique appraisals provided by Ricardo Slaye; horse-drawn wagon rides; psychic readings at The Gift of Namaste’; a Mukluks trunk show at The Red Raven; the King of Jack O’Lantern Contest, hosted by Curves; a pumpkin bake-off hosted by the new Foodie’s 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 Twistee’s; decorating their own trick or treat bag, sponsored by The Red Raven and Let’s Dance & 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’.

For a full schedule of events visit www.DowagiacChamber.com or call (269) 782-8212.