Bethel Woods’ Harvest Festival now a fall tradition

Celebrating local farms and crafters

By Oriah Diaz | Manor Ink

Jump right into this article to read about the Harvest Festival, an event that has been running for 28 years and learn why people come from across the Catskills to take part in it!

The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts has been celebrating its 28th annual Harvest Festival since August, and it concludes the fest on Sunday, Oct. 4, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This autumn event has been running on the site since before the center ever even opened.

Bethel Woods Center for the Arts brings the people together for the fall festival every year with locally grown produce and handmade items from across upstate New York. The festival features scavenger hunts, bands, vendors, food, corn mazes and a sense of community.

Manor Ink recently visited the festival and, after walking in from the grassy parking lot, encountered grounds that looked very much like a farm. There were pumpkins and corn stalks all around, and the air was fragrant with popcorn, barbecue and fall itself.

Bethel Woods Operations and Event Coordinator Katie Malenczack shared her knowledge about the 96 farms and small businesses at the event. These producers were vending honey, maple products, cheeses, produce, flowers and more.

“We love to have our local farmers from the area,” Malenczack said. “We have at least 20 locals, primarily from Sullivan County, but also going down into Pike and Wayne counties in Pennsylvania, Delaware County and also some from Orange County.”

Many vendors have worked at the festival from the beginning, and some say that though many customers have often stayed the same, Bethel Woods itself has changed a lot. For the first eight years of the festival there was no Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, just a grassy field that was perfect for bringing the people of the Catskills together again.

Marty Kane is a volunteer at the welcome tent who travels a long distance just to help out at the festival. “There are a lot of volunteers that do travel anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour or more. For a volunteer, that’s dedication,” he said. “We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t enjoy what we’re doing and feel like it makes a difference.”

Kane believes there is something special about the site, and what it stands for inspires people from the community to volunteer their time for the festival.

This year’s Harvest Festival had a wide variety of vendors, from Andersen’s Maple Farm to tie-dye goods from Forged by Hand, but there is always room for more vendors. Whatever your skill is, from making earrings to baking bread, you can contact Bethel Woods for information about participating in next year’s event by going to bethelwoodscenter.org/events/festivals/vendor-reference-material.