Fall Festival celebrates harvest and Halloween

Break out the kids’ Halloween costumes for the Davis Farmers Market’s Fall Festival from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in Central Park, Third and C streets. This year’s Halloween-themed festival features fun-filled activities and harvest specialties for the whole family, including a costume parade for kids, sponsored by Sutter Davis Hospital, at 11 a.m. at the oak tree deck.

The Fall Festival celebrates local food, local farmers and the harvest season. Members of Soroptimist International of Davis will host the pumpkin patch again this year — kids can pick out a free pumpkin! — and the Peter Franklin Band will perform crowd-pleasing Americana music.

The children’s area will feature hands-on crafts and science activities, including chemistry experiments and demonstrations by the UC Davis Chemistry Club and Explorit Science Center, plus craft activities offered by area 4-H clubs and UC Davis Rotaract volunteers. Future Farmers of America from Davis High School will pre-sell tri-tip roasts and Christmas trees for the holidays.

Fall Festival animals include piglets from Woodland farmer Jim Neilson’s farm, raptors from the California Raptor Center on the UCD campus and pony rides by Pony Ranch Parties. Dilly Dally the Clown will show off her balloon wizardry.

Central Park Gardens volunteers will host a seed-planting activity for kids, while also selling vegetable starters, flowers and herbs and offering eco-friendly gardening information. All visitors to the gardens will receive free flower seeds to plant now for spring blooms.

This year’s Fall Festival food fair will feature Market Bakeries’ fresh pie by the slice with whipped cream; Davis Creamery’s fall festival ice cream (in pumpkin, honey almond and walnut flavors); and Davis restaurateurs Fat Face and Monticello’s seasonal delights. Montoya’s Tamales will sell tamales and burritos, Kathmandu Kitchen will offer Indian foods, and Gold Rush Kettle Pop will sell fresh-popped kettle corn.

Market manager Randii MacNear says volunteers really drive the Fall Festival’s success, saying that helpers from Grace Valley Christian Center, UCD’s Rotaract Club, local 4-H clubs, Davis High School’s FFA, UCD Chemistry Club, California Raptor Center and Explorit Science Center are key.

“Fall Festival celebrates local food, local farms and the harvest season,” MacNear says. “It’s also our way of thanking customers for their patronage throughout the year.”

For more information, call the market office at 530-756-1695 or visit www.davisfarmersmarket.org.