Stacey Adams – Auburn Journal
As cooler temperatures and fall foliage begins to roll in, Auburn will celebrate the season at Auburn Recreation and Parks District’s (ARD) annual Harvest Festival Saturday.
The festival will include a costume contest and parade, live music from Bob Woods Trio, scarecrow contest, carnival games, food and more than 70 vendors. The event will also feature a community favorite: the Giant Pumpkin Contest, which allows competitors from all over to compete for the most impressive gourd.
Last year, Randy Warren was awarded for his Placer County-grown 1,300-pound pumpkin. According to an Auburn Journal report, the ARD record for the pumpkin contest is 1,652 pounds.
The Giant Pumpkin Contest is sponsored by Green Acres Nursery, giving cash prizes to the first- through seventh-place pumpkins with the most robust taking home $1,000. A $500 bonus will also be awarded for the largest Placer-grown pumpkin.
Community members can participate in a Scarecrow Contest for cash prizes for the categories of People’s Choice, People’s Kids Choice, Judges’ First Place, Judges’ Second Place and Judges’ Third Place. Themes are allowed as long as the statement is positive, ARD notes on the event webpage.
Festival attendees of multiple age groups can also dress to impress in their Halloween best for a chance to win the title of Most Frightening, Best Disney Themed, Best Homemade, Most Original and Best Pet Costume.
Kahl Muscott, ARD administrator, said the Harvest Festival is his favorite Auburn-area event and confirmed the event “has been an Auburn stalwart for the past two-plus decades.”
The Harvest Festival is free to attend and will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Recreation Park, 123 Recreation Dr. in Auburn. According to ARD, festival events are scheduled as follows:
9:30 a.m. – Giant Pumpkin Contest weighing begins
10 a.m. – Scarecrow Contest voting begins
10:45 a.m. – Skyridge and Pamelot Dance performance
11:15 a.m. – Auburn Gymnastics performance
1-4 p.m. – Live music from Bob Woods Trio
2 p.m. – Costume Contest
For more information, visit auburnrec.com/events/auburn-harvest-festival.