GAMBIER — From pumpkin decorating to horse-drawn hayrides, fall fun will be in full swing when Kenyon College’s Brown Family Environmental Center (BFEC) hosts its annual Harvest Festival on Oct. 17.
This year’s lineup features children’s activities, a cider press, food trucks, vendors and live entertainment. Guests also will be greeted by farm animals, including alpacas from Road Runner Rascals Alpaca Ranch in Utica.
The free, family-friendly event will take place from noon to 4 p.m. at 9781 Laymon Road in Gambier.
BFEC Director Noelle Jordan said she’s always excited for this celebration of the season that usually draws hundreds of attendees.
“We look forward to this event every year,” she said. “We love our typically beautiful fall weather, the changing leaves, and the Kenyon and Knox County communities enjoying the BFEC together.”
A 700-acre nature preserve established by the College along the Kokosing River valley, the BFEC opened at Kenyon in 1995.
Entertainment at this year’s festival will include the jazz and funk band Fat Tuesday as well as several Kenyon student music groups.
Two food trucks with varying cuisine — Cupzilla (Korean barbecue) and Mama Lupes Kitchen (Mexican) — will be on site, and plein air painters will be showing and selling art.
Other vendors and exhibitors will include Natives in Harmony plant nursery; the Knox County Park District; Bee City Mount Vernon; and Kenyon’s land trust, the Philander Chase Conservancy.
BFEC Post-Baccalaureate Fellow Cooper Bertschi, a 2026 graduate of Kenyon who planned the event, said there should be something for everyone.
“As a student, I loved attending the Harvest Festival each fall and seeing the community come together to celebrate the season,” he said. “This year, I’m especially excited for the return of our horse-drawn hayrides and the traveling archery trailer from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
“I encourage anyone who hasn’t attended before to stop by and experience this truly special event.”