ESCANABA — A Harvest Festival for kids will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Escanaba Farmers Market. Parents are invited to bring their children for fall-themed activities, games, crafts, and treats while exploring the market’s fresh local produce and goods.
“It’s a celebration for the children,” said Judy Schroeder, Market Manager with the Escanaba Downtown Development Authority. “We try to do some games and things to help them celebrate the day.”
Highlights of the event include a costume contest and several fun hands-on activities.
“We have a printed pumpkin painting contest. We have a prize tree where the children get to pick a leaf, and based on the color of the sticker under the leaf, they get a prize. Everybody wins,” said organizer Felicity Feathers. “We’re going to have apple cider and coffee and then a potluck with harvest soup.”
Assistant Market Manager Jessica Thorsen said one of the most popular activities will be corn diving for prizes.
“We went and got a kiddie pool, filled it with deer corn, and added candy and prizes. The kids can just go in and scoop stuff out and get prizes that way,” Thorsen said.
The Escanaba Farmers Market is held each Wednesday and Saturday at the Escanaba Marketplace and will wrap up its season on October 29.
“From my standpoint as a vendor, I think sales are up,” Thorsen said. “We had more produce vendors this year, and we’re getting a lot more new vendors. The market is starting to wind down—it’s October.”
Thorsen, who sells handmade goat milk soaps produced from goats she raises at the Yooper Farmhouse, said up to 30 vendors have participated at the market this year.
