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If you are looking for an enjoyable family oriented activity that will expand your cultural horizons, consider attending a harvest festival in your community or somewhere you have never visited. Harvest festivals are celebrated worldwide to commemorate the bounty of seasonally grown crops after they are collected to sustain the population of a particular area. Harvest festivals are a fusion of agricultural traditions and religious ceremonies that are celebrated through street processions, cultural dances and shared cuisine. Modern harvest festivals share similar religious roots and agricultural customs with ancient harvest festivals.
The National Harvest Festival is held each year near Ardrendtsville, Pennsylvania on the first two weekends in the month of October. The National Harvest Festival has a wide variety of activities such as Native American Dancing demonstrations and of course, all the apples you can eat.
Church Harvest Fest is a celebration that was originated for church communities as an alternative to Halloween, which may be considered pagan and against Christian principals by many churches. Harvest Fest events provide a safe and family-friendly environment with activities, contests and games. Children are usually invited to wear costumes, but scary ones, such as vampires, ghosts, witches, and ghouls, are generally frowned upon.
Celebrating the seasonal harvest with a festival brings people together---nurturing a feeling of community---and encourages them to think about where their food comes from. Also, a harvest festival sparks the idea of gratitude for the abundance of the natural world. Thoughtful decorations draw from the ideas of community, nature and abundance to enhance the joyous atmosphere.
Harvest time is a favorite time of year for all ages; the colors and sounds of autumn bring back great memories. At churches, harvest parties are perfect opportunities for fun and outreach to the community. A few games, coupled with stories and crafts, can make for an enjoyable harvest-time celebration.
There are several reasons that some Christians don't like Halloween. For many it's because of the roots of the celebration, others don't like the scare factor. Christian and non-Christians alike worry about the candy that's given to their children by total strangers. Many churches now offer an alternative to Halloween and host a Harvest Festival on October 31st. Children dress in non-scary costumes and decorations consist of pumpkins, hay and corn stalks. There could also be a petting zoo or hay rides offered, as well as plenty of games.
