Family fun is a tradition at the Arroyo Grande Harvest Festival.
Do you like carving pumpkins? How about participating in a Baking contest, or maybe making your own scarecrow?
It is all part of the fun you can have the last weekend in September.
I have lived in the Five Cities area for over 10 years and the Harvest Festival is one of the reasons my wife and I fell in love with the Central Coast. The first year we attended they were hosting a Giant Pumpkin Contest.
We also stopped in Arroyo Grande in 2007 on our way home from San Diego on vacation. The area is so quiet at night because everything shuts down at 8 pm each evening with the exception of 3 grocery stores Walmart, Vons, and Food 4 Less.
What makes the Harvest Festival such a special event is the giant pumpkin growing contest they used to have and all the other fun and games. On Friday night they show a movie Heritage Park where the whole family can sit and watch a movie under the stars and provide popcorn and water for a small price. They also have several local band playing music throughout the weekend.
This year they will be having wheelbarrow races, diaper derby, a pie-eating contest, playhouses, and lots of vendors selling their wares.
The Harvest Festival serves as a tribute to agriculture, the area’s leading industry. Among the many attractions and features are a parade, toe-tapping entertainment, agricultural exhibits, and an array of food, game, and arts and crafts booths. This festival is focused on the local non-profit organizations that serve the community. Since 1937, the people of Arroyo Grande have participated in this well-loved celebration. The Harvest Festival is a chance to look back at our history and past traditions. For complete and up-to-date information on this year’s Harvest Festival, visit agharvestfestival.com.
So why not bring the whole family and join us in the celebration, you never you know you could be this year’s big winners in one of the many contests. The parade starts at 10 AM on Saturday morning where many local businesses will be participating. We hope to see you there! Below are some of the parade participants from our first year.
PARADE ROUTE!!!
The parade begins at the intersection of Traffic Way at Branch Street and will move East on Branch Street through the Village of Arroyo Grande to Mason Street turns right and continues on to Poole Street and then disburse. There will be plenty of viewing area on both sides of the street on Mason Street all the way to Poole and on Branch Street. So come early and get your spot!
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