Sunny Harvest Fest drew large crowd

BERL TISKUS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 7 months AGO

Jewell Reum shows off royal banty chicken at the 4-H petting zoo, held during the Ronan Harvest Fest. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)

This colorful Furby is the Trail of Bales entry by Family Health Pharmacy and Gift Gallery in Ronan. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)

Woody, the cowboy doll from "Toy Story," was Western Building Supply's entry in the Trail of Bales. That makes sense since the whole community refers to WBS as Woody's. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)

The theme for this year's Ronan Trail of Bales was the 1990s, and Harvest Foods represented it well with Raphael,one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, replete with a piece of pizza and a devilish grin. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)

Saddle Mountain 4-H member Lilia Mitchell holds a baby Nigerian Dwarf goat so children can give him a pat at the club's petting zoo. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)

The fish pond at the Boy Scouts of America tent was very popular with kids, such as this young man. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)

Students from the schools were setting the pins for pumpkin bowling, always a fun event at Harvest Fest. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)

Harvest Fest in Ronan was loaded with vendors, visitors, children, animals, and food trucks on Saturday, Sept. 21.

It also included the ever-popular Trail of Bales – a lively mix of decorated round bales that evoked this year’s 1990s theme. The winner, as decided by voters who lined up at the Ronan Chamber booth to cast their ballots, was a winsome furry Furby, replete with blinking eyes, made by Buffalo Gals Market.

There were 34 festival vendors, said Lacy Cates, the Ronan Chamber of Commerce’s committee chair for Harvest Fest.

Saddle Mountain 4-H club set up a petting zoo so children could see and pat Nigerian Dwarf goats and kids, bunnies, Jewell Reum’s royal chicken, a mama and baby donkey, and other cute critters.

“Oh, he’s so soft,” whispered one little boy, gently stroking a tiny kid’s ear.

Children’s activities were everywhere – games at tables manned by Ronan school students, bounce houses, a fishing pond run by the Cub Scouts, a giant bubble station, a book sale, and food vendors.

“The chamber does so many cool things, but this is my favorite,” Cates said. “I love Harvest Fest.”

She added that the group of volunteers who help orchestrate the event “is just outstanding.

I mean, we have lots of chamber members, community members, kids are here from the schools running the kids’ games, and a 4-H club has a petting zoo. The firemen and the police are here; the Cub Scouts are here; kids are here fundraising for softball.”

“It's just all hands on deck,” she said. “Harvest Fest is such a fun thing.”

A new addition to the slate of fun was a baking competition called Flavors of Fall, organized by Dana Grant. Cates estimated there were 10 entries, “which is awesome for our first year.”

She added that Lake Farms let the Chamber use their little train, which is a big draw for children. The bounce houses were sponsored by Big Creek Plumbing and Zoo Crew.

“I’m just so thankful for the people who helped make it possible,” Cates said. Her committee members are Justine Welker, Sjaan Vincent, Bev Luedtke, Brennan Grainey and Jamie Buhr.

People who were attending the festival commented on the lovely weather.

“It’s the best,” said one woman on her way to a food truck that offered berry bowls.

So is Harvest Fest.

This colorful Furby is the Trail of Bales entry by Family Health Pharmacy and Gift Gallery in Ronan. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)

Woody, the cowboy doll from "Toy Story," was Western Building Supply's entry in the Trail of Bales. That makes sense since the whole community refers to WBS as Woody's. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)

Saddle Mountain 4-H member Lilia Mitchell holds a baby Nigerian Dwarf goat so children can give him a pat at the club's petting zoo. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)