The Dolores Harvest Festival and car show, which will feature four bands, is gearing up for its big day Saturday, Oct. 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Flanders Park in Dolores.
“This year, we doubled up the music from two bands to four bands so that music will go all day long, with FastTrack Communications as our stage sponsor to help us do that,” said Susan Lisak, executive director of the Dolores Chamber of Commerce.
No ticket is required to attend. The free festival is open to the public and will offer a host of activities for all, whether families, couples or young adults.
The beer garden and marketplace vendors will be open for the duration of the event, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Drinks will include beer, cider, wine and margaritas.
The scheduled musical acts are One Stan Band from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., The Flyaways from noon to 2 p.m., The Whiles from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Alexander Westphal Blues Trio from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The car show begins at 10 a.m. Entrants may register their car at visitdolores.com for $15 per vehicle. A vote will determine the winning entry in each category of vehicles. Voting closes at 3 p.m., and winners will be announced at 4 p.m.
“The car show brings out so many cool automobiles from all across the region. This is always a crowd pleaser,” Lisak said. “The car owners compete for trophies made by Reflections in Metal and voted on by the public.”
Categories for this year’s Harvest Fest are best car, best truck, best paint job, best rat rod and best in show. Last year’s best in show winner was No. 20 David Hale with his 1939 GMC 12V Cummins.
Family-friendly activities include pumpkin painting from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“I also love to see the kids paint their pumpkins and squash that they get from the vegetable vendors. We will have a special table set up with all the paints and arts and crafts for them to get creative,” Lisak said.
The popular pile of bubbles will be open for play during the same time as pumpkin painting, and hayrides will be offered from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hayrides are free to all who wish to participate. A kids train and face painting will be offered, and an inflatable slide will be open all day.
“It’s wonderful to offer family-friendly activities like hayrides and bubble piles and the kiddie train, but my favorite part of the Dolores Harvest Fest are the kids games,” Lisak said. “We’re going to be doing a dangling doughnut-eating contest and bobbing for apples for the kids to participate in.”
“Because of COVID, kids will be given their own little individual buckets to bob for apples,” she said.
The marketplace will feature food and nonfood vendors. Food vendors include My Huckleberry's Farm, End of the Trail Catering, Red Hot Cruisin' Cuisine, Cow Camp, Kettle Corn and Yia Yia's.
More than 30 nonfood vendors will participate. They include Star Hopper Henna, Whistling Squirrel Farm, Road X Designs Ltd., Color Street Nails, Sawhorse Ranch Artworks, PartyLite Candles and Fragrances, The Doodlebug Store, Sam’s Country Haven Gifts, Mischief Manor, Faith’s Elegant Crafts, Feathered Nest Photography and Charred Rock Ranch.
Those who wish to be vendors can register online at visitdolores.com. There is also a map online to view where vendors, kid games and more will be located.
“There’s so much to do and something for everyone to enjoy at the Dolores Harvest Fest at Flanders Park,” Lisak said.
