The fall fun will be the same as always when Kenyon’s Brown Family Environmental Center (BFEC) hosts its annual Harvest Festival on Saturday, Oct. 19, but the location will be new.
This year, the event — which is free and open to the general public — will take place from noon to 4 p.m. at the Gambier Community Center, 115 Meadow Lane, due to the ongoing roundabout construction at the intersection of Route 229 and Laymon Road near the BFEC resource center.
The family-friendly event will feature hayrides, live music, food trucks, children’s activities, pumpkin decorating and more.
BFEC Director Noelle Jordan said she’s looking forward to welcoming a broad mix of community members from Knox County and the College, which also will be celebrating Family Weekend. “It is a great pleasure to watch students, their families, and local families intermingle and enjoy some seasonal fun,” she said.
Entertainment will include folk musician Sarah Goslee Reed and the band Slight Halo with Matt Baugher. The archery truck from the Knox Soil and Water Conservation District will be on hand, as will exhibitors from Schoolhouse Woodcrafts, where they specialize in making wooden birdhouses, and plein air painters, who will be showing and selling art. Two food trucks — Big Pappy’s BBQ and Kubido, which serves kabobs — will be on site as well.
BFEC Post-Baccalaureate Fellow Jada Swearingen ’24, said she is excited for this festival that both celebrates the change in season and fosters a sense of community. “The festival is a wonderful opportunity to meet new people and discover local businesses and organizations,” she said. "Even though we are in a different location this year, we expect to have the same high energy felt throughout the event.”
Also happening nearby on Saturday is a “Campfire and Pumpkins” event at the Kenyon Farm, 20245 Zion Road. The free event for the campus community will take place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
There will be a campfire and s’mores, along with apple cider, live music and one free pumpkin per person, according to Bethany McCarty, Kenyon Farm manager. Parking at the farm is limited, so visitors are encouraged to walk over from campus.