The HarvestFest to Remember

Check out Heather Atwood's post about the 2010 Rockport HarvestFest:
The HarvestFest to Remember

The Great Scarecrow at HarvestFest!

Introducing Laurie Lufkin and The Emerson Inn Rockport Harvest Festival ...

via Donna Ardizzoni at Good Morning Gloucester

Thanks for a great HarvestFest!

To the incredible food at the Local Fare Fair to the painted pumpkins in the Kids Zone to the fun at WOCA Fair to the great music to the stuffed scarecrows to the Great Scarecrow himself - Rockport's HarvestFest was a lot of fun.

Thanks to our sponsors, our vendors, the town of Rockport and of course to those of YOU who came to Rockport for a jam-packed day!

Tonight's Kickoff! Music, Food & Film

6:00 pm

Harvest Community Picnic accompanied by the Polygroove Orchestra. Bring a dish celebrating the bounty of the season.  (And don't forget the tableware!)  The Picnic is under the huge tent on T-Wharf.

8:00 pm

A screening of the film Fresh at the Old Firehouse Trust building, just around the corner from T-Wharf.  Check it out here.  Fresh is an upbeat documentary about the exciting new developments in the way we eat as small farms make a comeback across America.  And speaking of eating locally-produced food, it doesn't get more local than Twin Lights Soda,  which will be provided at the screening courtesy of Pierce Sears, proprietor of Twin Lights.

HarvestFest Highlight: Provided by the Gloucester Daily Times

Click here for a great article and summary of HarvestFest.  And be sure to check back as we preview Friday's festival Kickoff!

A big thank you to those of you who supported festivals programming by going to the Fish Shack today.  Rockport Festivals is grateful to the DineAround organizers (Inns of Rockport and the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce), the Fish Shack for donating 20% of the day's proceeds, and to all of you Cape Ann residents and visitors who came downtown today to eat great food for a good cause.

HarvestFest Highlight: Celtic Music and Cider Donuts

HarvestFest is just days away and until then we'll be highlighting different aspects of the 2010 Rockport HarvestFest to give festival-goers a sense of what's to come...

Today's highlight? Celtic music and cider donuts. No, the two won't necessarily be offered side-by-side at HarvestFest, but they do go together delightfully. (Although one could argue that donuts go with anything.) You can wander over to the big tent on T-Wharf and procure a few cider donuts made either a few miles away at the Willowrest, or glazed donuts - among other varieties - made a few steps away at Rockport's own The Coffee Shop. Donuts in hand, you head down to Bearskin Neck to check out Michael O'Leary, along with friends Steve Levy & Linda Swicker Shields, as they play and sing Celtic tunes from 11am to 1pm. Michael O'Leary is Cape Ann's premier Celtic musician and can often be found singing on the Gloucester schooner the Thomas E. Lannon throughout the summer.

For those of you unfamiliar with the joys of cider donuts, HarvestFest will be a revelation. The Willowrest (with the motto "Eat Fresh") makes this New England delicacy in-house, and it competes with the fall foliage for a place in the hearts of locals. The donuts don't look particularly impressive, but a first bite of that sweet-but-not-too-sweet fried dough with a hint of apple will leave you hooked for life.

And as far as donuts of other varieties are concerned, The Coffee Shop, located on Main Street in Rockport, has you covered. The Coffee Shop has been a fixture in Rockport for decades, and still makes all the donuts they sell, as well as muffins, cookies, and more. Under the "and more" category is Nisu Bread, a Finnish coffee bread that is part of the heritage of the dominant immigrant community that has claimed the tip of Cape Ann for generations. The most distinctive ingredient in Nisu is the fragrant spice cardamom, always freshly crushed before baking. Cider donuts and nisu: both of them can't-miss local food experiences.

Kids' Art Zone at HarvestFest

In between listening to live music and checking out what's on tap at the Cape Ann Brewing Co. booth on T-Wharf, parents can spend time with their kids at the HarvestFest Kids' Art Zone. For a donation - which goes to support festival programming - children can play in our haybale mini-maze, paint a pumpkin and more.

And there are plenty of complimentary activities going on as well: families will have a great time checking out all the scarecrows on our Scarecrow Stroll - plan on voting for your favorite! And this year we are featuring a don't-miss event: The Great Scarecrow Chase. The Great Scarecrow Chase begins at Harvey Park at 4:30 pm, parades along Bearskin Neck before ending at the Old Firehouse Trust Building where children will meet The Great Scarecrow himself and receive a festive treat in honor of the season. Costumes for the parade are optional (we especially love homemade ones!).

Of course, no HarvestFest would be complete without hayrides, compliments of Rockport's own Seaview Farm. Children's activities are all centered in Harvey Park in downtown Rockport, just across the street from T-Wharf.

And don't forget to check out the other community events going on in conjunction with the festival. Rockport Music is hosting a Community Day with a full slate of activities for families, including a big-screen showing of The Wizard of Oz! Click here for details.

Inns of Rockport Sponsor a Fundraiser

On Thursday, October 14th, the Inns of Rockport, in conjunction with Roy Moore's Fish Shack, have scheduled a fundraiser, with proceeds going to support two organizations: Rockport Festivals and the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce.

The Fish Shack restaurant will donate 20% of receipts from every meal at the restaurant for both lunch and dinner. It's a great opportunity to come downtown and eat a great meal in the company of friends and neighbors - all while knowing that a generous percentage of the cost of your meal is supporting community events like Motif No. 1 Day and HarvestFest.

See you there!

Bring Your Appetites to the Festival!

Be sure to check out our Local Fare Fair as part of this year's HarvestFest. Enjoy what your region has to offer, both in terms of what people make around here and in terms of what New Englanders grow (don't miss the farm stand!). HarvestFest is a true celebration of the season.

Check the festival schedule of events to stay updated on who will be joining us for our Local Fare Fair.

HarvestFest Schedule of Events

Our 2010 HarvestFest Schedule of Events is now online. Lots more information to follow, including details about the cooking segments under the tent at T Wharf, who you can expect to find selling locally-made pies and regional specialties like Nisu bread at our Local Fare Fair, and much more.

Keep checking back to stay updated on what this year's HarvestFest will bring to downtown Rockport. And, as always, if you want to get involved as a volunteer or sponsor, just let us know by clicking on the Sponsorship link above or emailing us.

Stay tuned!

HarvestFest 2010!

Many thanks to Darren Mason of Merge3Creative for the design of the 2010 HarvestFest poster.

Brad Byrd to Appear on 92.5

photo: www.bradbyrdofficial.com

Singer-songwriter Brad Byrd will be featured at 10 pm on Boston's 92.5 The River on Wednesday, September 1st during their Homegrown showcase. Rockport Festivals is pretty excited about this because, not only is Brad a great musician, he is our musician, hailing from Rockport, Mass.

Check him out tomorrow night online or at 92.5 on your radio and be sure to come down to Rockport on Saturday, October 16th, during HarvestFest to hear Brad Byrd in person!