PENDLETON — It’s time to save the date — or you might want to make it the whole weekend — as organizers of the Pendleton Fall Festival and Heritage Fair said this year’s events are chock full of activities Friday, Sept. 7, and Saturday, Sept. 8.
While the two annual happenings run in conjunction with each other, they are two separate affairs.
The Pendleton Business Association plays host to the Fall Festival downtown, while the Century and a Half Club conducts the Heritage Fair in Falls Park.
Heritage Fair festivities run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days.
Lana Barton, Heritage Fair organizer, said she looks forward to the event each year, as does the community.
“We’ve got vendors who’ve been coming for over 20 some years,” Barton said. “We enjoy seeing the same people year after year and meeting the new people and seeing new products.”
The Heritage Fair, in its 44th year, always attracts a big crowd, she said.
The event serves as a major fundraiser for the Century and a Half Club.
It typically generates about $6,500 from vendor fees for community causes, including high school scholarships and donations to organizations, including police and fire departments, Pendleton Community Public Library, local parks and more.
“If we hear of somebody in need around town, we always try to help them out if we can,” Barton said.
Barton, a longtime Pendleton resident, and her family love the small-town atmosphere and the events associated with the community such as the fall festival and fair.
“It’s always a good time,” Barton said. “Even for people who’ve moved out of the area, they always come back for the event.”
One of the reasons the happening is so popular is the food and vendors.
Vendors taking part in the festivities sell a wide range of merchandise, from individually made items, such as turned wood carved items, jewelry and artwork, to food items, such as beef jerky.
Traditional food options include Sigma Phi Gamma Sorority chicken and noodles, Pendleton Lions Club corn and Kiwanis K Burgers.
There are still a few vendor spots open, Barton said. Vendors interested in a booth can call 765-778-3183 or email [email protected].
Fall Festival hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the area of Pendleton Avenue and State Street, event organizer Kathi Meyer said.
There will be food and merchandise vendors.
On Friday, WEEM, the Pendleton Heights radio station, is set to provide music in the food vendor area.
On Saturday, Studio 3 Music Academy students will perform in person in the vendor area periodically throughout the day.
The festival will be comprised of 36 booths offering a range of goods and services.
For PBA members, the Pendleton Fall Festival is a chance for them to have interaction with the community, PBA President Jack Wilson said.
“We hope the local businesses will participate in the event by having their stores open and taking advantage of the extra traffic flow in terms of consumers coming into the community,” Wilson said.
Other groups are getting in on the fall fun too, taking advantage of what is expected to be another large turnout.
Outfitters Block Party is slated to start downtown at 6 p.m. (See related story, Page 1.)
There also will be an opening reception from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, for the South Madison Visual Arts exhibit at Gallery 119, which runs through Wednesday, Oct. 3. (See related story, this page.)
