The City of Hurricane held its annual harvest festival last Saturday, October 2. People from Hurricane and the surrounding area headed to the city park for a fun day with lots of activities for both children and adults, as well as shopping opportunities with local crafters and vendors.
New this year to the festival was a pumpkin pie eating contest. The city purchased pies for the occasion from Valley Cakes in Hurricane, and the event was sponsored by Truist Bank (formerly BB&T). The contest featured three age groups – 7-11, 12-17, and 18 and up. The first place winner of each division was awarded a medal and a $100 Walmart gift card.
In the past, the City of Hurricane has held a chili cookoff during the harvest festival. However, this year, the event was cancelled due to COVID concerns. The pumpkin pie eating contest was held in its place.
Pursley’s Exotic Encounters set up their petting zoo along the park road. This year, the petting zoo featured several new animals, including several camels, porcupines, coatimundis (a racoon from South America), cavies (a rodent from South America), and a baby red kangaroo.
The festival featured a large craft fair with many local crafters selling homemade goods just in time for the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Mama Mae’s Apple Butter made fresh apple butter on the spot, with workers stirring a giant kettle over a fire. Mama Mae is a new business based in Hurricane which started up last October.
Throughout the event, Mayor Edwards hosted small contests, including a hula hoop contest in which over 40 children participated. Prizes were also given out to festivalgoers who could perform various feats such as juggling or doing back flips, or were in possession of certain items such as a gold dollar, or a tattoo of the American flag.
In addition to the craft fair and other activities, the city gave away free hotdogs and other free treats at the concession stand, which was manned by the Hurricane Fire Department Auxiliary.
Dale Harper and the Highlanders provided the evening’s entertainment.
