Harvest Fest Arrives Saturday

Deerfield’s inaugural Harvest Fest will highlight the Village’s Farmers’ Market from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at the northwest corner of Deerfield Road and Robert York Avenue. The entire Farmers’ Market will take place from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Baking and eating contests, children’s activities and the usual bustle of the Deerfield Farmers’ Market will all be incorporated into the Village’s celebration of the fall harvest, according to Farmers’ Market Manager Joan Reed.

Earlier: Grillfest Becomes Jester Family Affair

“We want to celebrate the harvest,” Reed said. “Our local farmers have had a rough year though you wouldn’t know it from what they’ve brought to the market. In southwest Michigan they had the early spring and then the freeze that destroyed the fruit and in Illinois there was the drought.”

Among the competition there will be a watermelon eating contest, pumpkin ring toss, gourd bowling, bobbing for apples, a scavenger hunt, a pumpkin seed guessing contest, and the annual apple pie contest.

The apple pie contest is one of a number of annual events incorporated into Harvest Fest this year. Participants must be entered ahead of time for the three judges to evaluate their creation. For those not yet registered, they can email Reed or download an application from the website. The pies must be fresh baked and delivered by 9 a.m. The contest is from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

“It must be home made,” Reed said. “The crust must be made from scratch. They will be judged on texture, flavor and the flakiness of the crust. We want to know that when it is sliced it stays in a slice and doesn’t fall apart.”

The winner will receive a $100 gift card for dinner at Biaggi’s, the second place finisher gets a $50 gift card at Northbrook Court’s Sur la Table. The person judged third best gets $25 worth of Farmers’ Market vouchers.

Along with the games and contests, visitors will be able to enjoy the Handsome Molly Bluegrass Band, balloon creations, caramel apples made in front of their eyes and see how Language Stars can help children learn a foreign language .

Children can also create their own potted plant with Little Landscapes as well as observe a recycling demonstration and learn about rescue dog awareness. Max A. Pooch will be there with Keith Sanderson. Deerfield Rotary will be selling coupon books and people can participate in Lake County’s “Page It Forward” book drive.

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