It wouldn’t be fall in Baldwinsville without the sites, scents and sounds of Beaver Lake’s Golden Harvest Festival.
Returning for its 35th consecutive year, the old-fashioned country fair-style event kicks off this Saturday, Sept. 8, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and continues from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9.
The Golden Harvest Festival has something for everyone – nature lovers, food enthusiasts, music buffs and more. Audience participation has long been a mainstay of the program as visitors serve as both contestants and judges in the signature Living Scarecrow, Wild Critter Call and Pie Eating Contests.
An eclectic mix of live music and entertainment round out the weekend including the Zydeco sounds of Los Blancos, acoustic rock with Michael Crissan, The Magic of Virgil and the Catskill Puppet People. Lisa Lee returns this year, too, to entertain with her full band and the upbeat dixieland jazz band Soda Ash 6 is a newcomer for the 2012 lineup.
From hands-on nature activities, horse-drawn hayrides, free canoeing and nature hikes to fresh doughnuts, live animal demonstrations, unique games and great shopping with local artists and crafters, this colorful event has a lot to offer. Admission is $5 for adults, $1 for youth (6 to 17 years old) and 5 and younger are free, as is parking.
Beaver Lake Nature Center, an Onondaga County Park, is located at 8477 East Mud Lake Road, three miles west of Baldwinsville off of Route 370. For more information, call the Nature Center at 638-2519 or visit onondagacountyparks.com.
