This past weekend kicked off the fall festival season here in Central New York with the annual Golden Harvest Festival at Beaver Lake Nature Center. The festival attracted crowds to Baldwinsville all weekend, despite the rain that lasted through Saturday afternoon.
Artist Thomas Lenweaver sold his paintings and prints at the event. He says that the crowds are an indication of the park’s support base.
“There’s a lot of people, a huge member group, over 2000. People love Beaver lake. It’s a beautiful installation. The County does a wonderful job with this park.”
Visitors to the festival enjoyed three stages of live, family-friendly entertainment, fall foods, kid-friendly games, and a petting zoo and hayrides for children. Nature Center Director Heidi Kortright says the festival has become a cornerstone fall event for many families.
"I think it’s tradition with a lot of families in the area. They start bringing their children very young and they continue going. And the kids even come back once they’re away at school and with their own families. People seem to be enjoying themselves. Even the little bit of drizzle hasn’t turned a lot of people away."
Kortright says that even with the rain on Saturday, volunteers had to open the overflow parking lot by eleven that morning. The Nature Center will use the proceeds from this weekend to prepare for another successful event next year.
