GAMBIER The autumnal splash of color embellishing the Kenyon College campus sets the scene for the annual Fall Harvest Festival on Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Brown Family Environmental Center, 9781 Laymon Rd.
The free festival, held from 2-5 p.m., features activities ranging from pumpkin carving to horse-drawn wagon rides to voting in a photography contest. A hand-operated cider press will crank out fresh apple cider, and visitors can buy baked goods and roast marshmallows over a bonfire. Music will be provided by the Clear Fork Valley String Band, an acoustic, bluegrass outfit. A number of campus and community organizations, including the Kenyon Review, the Center for Global Engagement, and the Science Play-Space Initiative, are also hosting activities.
A few farm animals will also be on hand, because the critters “make it fun,” said Heather Doherty, program manager at the environmental center.
The festival, she said, is “a great way for us to invite students and community members to the center and share what we have to offer.” The family-friendly event allows visitors to experience the area’s rural flavor. “It’s a nice mix of college and community,” Doherty said.
In conjunction with the Harvest Festival, the environmental center is also hosting the Knox County Nature Photo Contest, and will accept entries until Monday, Oct. 14. More information on the contest rules and how to enter can be found at bfec.kenyon.edu. Photos will be displayed in the environmental center office during the festival, and visitors will have the opportunity to vote on their favorite photo for the “people’s choice” award.
Shuttles will run from the Kenyon College Bookstore, 106 Gaskin Ave., to the environmental center every 20 minutes between 2-4 p.m. to help visitors get to and from the festival. To learn more, call 740-427-5050.
