Lewis, NY – Adirondack Harvest is seeking sponsors, vendors, volunteers and petting zoo animals for the 7th annual Adirondack Harvest Festival. The Festival is scheduled for Saturday, September 23, 2023 from 12 to 5 p.m. at the Essex County Fairgrounds. The event will follow the same format as past festivals, with a large farmers’ market, local food trucks, “Local Libations” tent, hands-on workshops, kids’ activities, draft horse and wagon rides, and more.

The theme of the hands-on workshops and demonstrations will be “Local Fiber and Wool” with experts leading sessions on natural dyes for yarn and fabric, sheep shearing, spinning, weaving, and more.

Laurie Davis of Adirondack Harvest says, “Last year was the largest Adirondack Harvest Festival to date. We had an estimated 3,500 people in attendance, primarily from Essex County, but many visitors traveled from as far as Montreal, Albany and Burlington just to get a taste of what farms in the Adirondacks have to offer. What makes the Harvest Festival unique is that it specifically highlights locally grown food and products. It’s not your everyday craft fair or farmers’ market; the goal of the event is to truly support and promote our local farmers and other businesses using locally harvested components.”

Laura Cook of Cook Family Farm in Owls Head, NY says, “Last year was the first time we participated in the Adirondack Harvest Festival, and it turned out to be the perfect opportunity to reach new customers who care deeply about supporting local farms and food. It was also a great networking event for us to meet other farmers and non-profit organizations. We look forward to returning in 2023.”

The Adirondack Harvest Festival was created in 2016 by local community members who wanted to celebrate and showcase local food and farms in the Champlain Valley. The event is free to attend and acts as an economic stimulus for participating farms, artists and local towns, provides education for all ages about regional agriculture, and celebrates the unique sense of community in the Adirondacks where farms and nature thrive together.

Davis says, “Sponsors, vendors and volunteers are what helps keep this event free to attend and accessible to a wide range of people. This year we really need the help of our community members and organizations to continue to build a vibrant and accessible event for everyone.”

Donations/Sponsors: Contributions from generous sponsors make this event free for everyone. If you’re interested in sponsoring the event, please click here for more information. If you’re a private individual that would like to support the Adirondack Harvest Festival, please click here to make a donation and receive a complimentary 2023 Festival t-shirt for every $50 donated!

Vendors: If your business grows, makes, or sells a locally harvested offering, and you would like to be a vendor at the festival, click here to review the requirements and to indicate your interest.

Volunteers: If you’d like to volunteer your time on the day of the festival, or if you have a farm animal you’d like to showcase in the petting zoo, please sign up here.

Sign up here for to receive email updates from Adirondack Harvest and more information about the Adirondack Harvest Festival.

About  Adirondack Harvest:

Adirondack Harvest is a program of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Essex County that works to increase opportunities for profitable, sustainable production and sale of high-quality food and agricultural products, and expand consumer choices for locally produced healthy food. Its work covers the greater Adirondack region and northeastern New York State. Learn more at adirondackharvest.com.

Photo at top: Adirondack Harvest Festival. Photo provided by Mary Godnick, Communication Coordinator, Adirondack Harvest.