Among the more popular attractions at this year’s Fall Harvest Festival were the volunteers who gave demonstrations at the old-fashioned sawmill.

By Maria Beam Gray

With a herd of cars dotting the rolling green landscape of Kinder Farm Park and the paved paths corralled with vendors, the annual Fall Harvest Festival treated attendees to beautiful weather and fall, family fun.

Now in its 12th year, the Fall Harvest Festival is organized by the Friends of Kinder Farm Park, a non-profit volunteer organization, and relies on approximately 400 volunteers to ensure the event runs smoothly. The festival offers a bounty of activities including children’s games, scarecrow making, an antique tractor display, pumpkin painting, several farm animal displays, blacksmith demonstrations, food concessions, live music, and the ever popular hay rides.

As the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Friends of Kinder Park, President Jim Rausch was hopeful the record crowd, an estimated 13,000 attended, would keep the organization on track to raise over $12,000. The proceeds go directly back into the park and of particular note this year they will be earmarked for the opening of the park’s new visitor’s center.

"We’re trying to build membership. Signing up our 100th member today shows tremendous public support for the park," praised Rausch with pride.

"It’s the first time I’ve ever been to the festival and it’s wonderful," lauded Linda Figallo, while busily attending to the stream of customers at the Partners In Care Boutique booth.

In lieu of paying an up front vendor space fee, vendors contribute 15% of everything they make at the festival back to the Friends of Kinder Park group.

State Delegate Cathy Vitale was on hand not only to show support of the fall festival, but also to watch her son help young children shoot off corn cobs as he tallied up community service hours for school.

"From an economy viewpoint this is a great day out for kids," noted Vitale. "In this area it’s all about community and this is just a wholesome family day with good, clean fun," she added.

The 4H Livestock Club came up with the creative idea to stage an autumn photo op area and charged patrons a nominal fee to snap a photo of their children with the eye pleasing backdrop.

"We had a very good turnout and the money we raised will go to the 4H Club and help feed and take care of the animals at the park," said Sharon Warner, Animal Management and Team Parent Guide for the 4H Livestock Club.

That would include feeding animals such as crowd stunner Penny Sue, the approximately 475 pound, 3½-year old pig that lives at Kinder Farm Park.

Michael Wooldridge has a small farm in Galesville and comes out to the festival each year with his single cylinder engines and demonstrates how they make chicken feed. Kids line up to take turns cranking the hand grinder and husking corn.

"This is educational for the community and the kids," observed Woolridge as he focused on the kids.

The festival concluded with throngs of painted pumpkins, life-size scarecrows, and laughing families parading to their cars - a perfect homage to fall on the farm.

Friends of Kinder Farm Park membership is $15 per family per year and includes merchant discounts and park benefits. Anyone interested in joining Friends of Kinder Farm Park, may call 410-222-6115 or log onto