You may want to map out a personal schedule or itinerary if you’re planning on attending the Outlook Harvest Festival on Saturday, September 9 because organizers have been busy coming up with a long list of attractions, games, exhibitors and entertainment for the event.
The unique event, organized by the Outlook & District Chamber of Commerce, kicks off with a pancake breakfast at 9:00 am and goes straight through to midnight, closing with a street dance. In between those 15 hours are events such as the annual Outlook River Run, a kids carnival that includes games, face painting, train rides and a bale maze, a life-size board game, garden tractor races, a ball hockey tournament, a pulled pork supper, and live entertainment such as Caliber, Latin dancers, the Riverbottom Boys, and Marcia Orton.
As well, the event will put a spotlight on Outlook’s business district and all that it offers in something of a trade show atmosphere; appropriate since the idea for the Harvest Festival came after the decision was made to not hold the annual trade show at the Jim Kook Rec Plex.
This newer idea of a daylong festival blends Outlook’s local economy with family-oriented fun and something for everyone of every age.
The location of the festival includes a significant portion of Franklin Street, sectioning it off in different stations on both the north and south side of Saskatchewan Avenue and allowing patrons to walk about freely and visit the various exhibits and events going on during the day.
Nearly 30 businesses are signed up as exhibitors for the festival, as well as over a dozen local organizations. Profits from the festival will go right back into those organizations to keep them operational so they can continue to serve the community.
Hannah Taylor, one of the key organizers of the festival says things are running smoothly ahead of next Saturday’s event and there’s a good buzz about it.
“Things are going really good, they’re coming together nicely,” she said. “Everybody in the community seems to be excited about it and looking forward to it, and excited about putting something new on in town!”
It was important for the Chamber to give back to the non-profit organizations that will be helping out during the event so that they can continue to prosper and serve the community.
“We have all sorts of organizations helping out with the day, and we’re putting all of our profits back into them,” said Hannah. “We want to give back to all those organizations that work in our community and volunteer, and also to help promote the businesses and what they offer.”
Though it’s too early to tell right now, Taylor says there’s a hope to make the Harvest Festival an annual event if the inaugural edition turns out to be a big hit.
“Hopefully we can make it a yearly event,” she said. “We’re trying to bring the whole community together, so if we can do that, it should be a yearly thing!”
