Friends and visitors will gather in the charming town of Hawley, PA for the town’s longest-running seasonal festival, the annual Hawley Harvest Hoedown, which extends its duration this year running from September 24th to October 3rd. Also extended this year is the vendor fair, which will run over the entire weekend of October 2nd and 3rd from 10 am to 4 pm. Some of the participating vendors include Shemanski Maple Syrup, a Bobbin’ and a Weavin’, Pork Authority BBQ, Christine’s Soap Box and more to be announced.
The biggest day of the festival culminates on Saturday, October 2nd, featuring the aforementioned vendor fair, daytime entertainment, an evening folk and bluegrass with the region’s favorite bands, hayrides, pumpkin carving, petting zoo and more.
In recent years a fall crawl beer tour has been added to the festival events, and this year the crawl takes place over the entirety of the festival from September 24th to October 3rd. Participants win a commemorative beer mug upon completion of the fall crawl. Fall Crawl Beer Tour cards will be available at participating bars. A full list of the participating bars will be announced on Facebook after Labor Day weekend.
New this year are two scarecrow contests: a scarecrow costume competition has been added where kids, adults, pets, couples and groups are invited to dress up as scarecrows for a chance to win a prize under different categories. To register, please arrive prior to 1:00 pm on Sunday, October 3rd and register at the Downtown Hawley Partnership Office located at 519 Church St, Hawley, PA. Simply dress up, show up, and register on-site! Also, new this year, businesses and residents alike are encouraged to participate in the scarecrow display contest! Prizes and registration information is available on hawleyharvesthoedown.com. The Farm Arts Collective will also be performing a children’s show on Sunday, October 3rd at 1 pm on Keystone Street. If inclement weather is expected, the children’s show will take place at the Ritz Company Playhouse.
This year also marks the eighth annual Hawley Hoedown Bluegrass and Folk Concert at the Ritz Company Playhouse, produced by the Downtown Hawley Partnership. The bands include regional powerhouses, Serene Green (Duo), Hickory Project, and Bog Swing Group. “We’re thrilled to welcome Serene Green (Duo form) and Hickory Project back to the stage of the Ritz Company Playhouse! We’ve enjoyed them before at past Hawley Harvest Hoedown Bluegrass Concerts and their musicianship has floored us. We are also excited to add a new musical flavor to the mix, and for the first time, we will be welcoming the Bog Swing Group, an old-timey, gypsy-jazz and Celtic group from the Scranton area who makes audiences go completely wild,” says Jill Carletti, the concert organizer. Tickets for the concert range in price from $18 to $25, depending on seats chosen. The theater is located at 512 Keystone Street in Hawley, PA and the concert is set to begin at 7:00 pm with doors opening at 6:00 pm.
For years, visitors and residents have enjoyed the beautifully decorated streets, the festive shop fronts, all against the backdrop of Hawley’s mountainous fall foliage. For more information on the festival or to purchase concert tickets, please visit www.hawleyharvesthoedown.com or send a message to the Hawley Harvest Hoedown Facebook page located at www.facebook.com/hawleyharvesthoedown.