 FISHING FOR NEWSPAPERS - Standard Journal staff writer Pam Dailey helps Ryan Berkheimer, 3, of New Columbia, fish for newspapers at Standard Journal's stand at the Milton Harvest Festival. Kids were able to pick out a prize after they snagged a paper from the pool. Photo by Kevin Mertz/Standard Journal |
First weekend met with sunny skies, and plenty of smiles
Published in the Standard-Journal on Monday, September 10, 2007
By Kevin Mertz. Reprinted with Permission
MILTON - The 31st edition of Milton's Harvest Festival kicked off this weekend, and those who attended its many activities were greeted by unseasonably warm weather, with temperatures reaching nearly 90 degrees.
Saturday's activities featured arts and crafts vendors along Broadway and Bound Avenue, a 28-mile bike race, a cubmobile race, a concert in Lincoln Park featuring the Milton Area High School Band and the Milton Harvest Festival Princess Pageant.
A canoe and kayak river trip was held Sunday.
This year's festival marked the first year in which Gerry Walters served as chair of the arts and crafts committee.Walters said she was thrilled when festival chairman Dale Kriner asked her to head-up the committee.
"I didn't have to think about it at all," she added. "I've been a crafter here for nearly 30 years and have worked on the committee for a few years."
She said her daughter, Sue Rearick, is serving as co-chair of the committee this year.
"We've both wanted to do it for a few years," Walters said.
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"It's been wonderful, everyone is so cooperative," she said. "All the vendors seem to be happy and that makes me happy."
She noted she would have liked to have seen more vendors turn out for the first weekend of activities, however she's pleased that nearly every slot will be filled for the second weekend of festivities.
Walters also said she enjoys socializing with everyone who comes to the festival.
"I always told Dale (Kriner) if I got too old to do this, I was just going to sit in a chair in the middle of Broadway and visit with people," she said.
Kriner echoed those sentiments, noting socializing with the people at the Harvest Festival is what makes the event so special.
"I enjoy seeing all the people and seeing all the events," he said. "It's like a big homecoming celebration."
Kriner was also pleased with the way the first weekend turned out.
"The high school band concert was super," he said. "They played for over an hour and they were only supposed to perform for a half hour."
He also noted 143 riders turned out for the bike race.
"This is the only major event Milton has," Kriner said of the festival. "Everyone points to these two weekends."
Another successful event held in conjunction with the Harvest Festival was the cubmobile race, in which 36 Scouts raced handcrafted cars down the hill on Academy Avenue. Cub Scout packs from Milton, Watsontown, Mazeppa, Middleburg, Lamar and Hughesville participated in the event, which was sponsored by Cub Scout Pack 3605 of Trinity Lutheran Church, Milton.
Dean Crites, who was assisting with the event, said the cubmobile races have been held in conjunction with the Harvest Festival for more than 10 years.
 TOPS IN THE PET PARADE — From left, Leah Davis, 3, and Tanner Davis, 5, both of Milton, were the grand prize winners during the pet parade, held Saturday morning. Photo by Kevin Mertz/Standard Journal |
"People will walk out here from downtown," he said. "It's a good way to get scouting out in the public."
The pet parade, sponsored by the Junior Woman's Club with assistance from the Juniorette Club, was another popular event held Saturday.
"It gives the kids in the community something to participate in," said Junior Woman's Club president Anita Keiser.
She also spoke on the importance of the Harvest Festival to Milton.
"It gets the community together," she said. "There's a lot of community pride."
Milton mayor Ed Nelson attended the festival and was glad to see so many activities taking place in his community.
"It's a wonderful event for Milton," he said. "The volunteers that put their time into it are greatly appreciated by the community. I like seeing all the people downtown and seeing the happy faces of the young people walking around."
George Venios, president of The Improved Milton Experience (TIME), also spoke on the importance of the festival to the community.
"It brings people to our historic downtown," he said. "It supports our businesses and shows off our downtown. We welcome everyone from the surrounding communities to our downtown."
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