The Hillcrest Merchants Association celebrates the season with HarvestFest in Hillcrest, Saturday on Kavanaugh Boulevard between Walnut and Monroe streets in Little Rock's Hillcrest neighborhood.
The festival, featuring 100 vendors, food trucks, a costume contest, a dog show and music, gets underway at 11 a.m. A portion of the proceeds supports the Allen School.
The pre-festival kicks off with the Hillcrest Residents Association's pancake breakfast, 9-11 a.m. at Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, 2200 Kavanaugh Blvd. Cost is $5, $15 per family.
The activity lineup:
◼️ At 11 a.m., vendors open. So does the beer garden, on adjoining Beechwood Street, featuring Arkansas brewers Lost Forty, Diamond Bear and Stone's Throw.
◼️ The Arkansas Repertory Theatre Halloween Costume Contest, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., is open to all, with judging and prizes from the theater — extra points if your costume reflects one of their forthcoming shows (visit TheRep.org for the schedule). Awards will be handed out at 2 p.m.
◼️ Two-person teams will participate in the HarvestFest Baggo tournament at noon; cost to participate is $40 per team. Register at tinyurl.com/bybd8f5f.
◼️ For the HarvestFest Dog Show at 3:30 p.m., participating pooches will compete in numerous categories, including best look-alikes (owner and dog match), biggest "awwwwww," coolest trick, highest energy, cutest puppy (6 months or younger) and top senior dog (10-plus years). Winners in each category get a $50 gift card to Hounds Lounge Pet Resort & Spa. Cost is $20; Proceeds go to Friends of the Animal Village. Register at tinyurl.com/udb3s3zr. Sponsors are Central Bank, Mariposa Studio Photography and Hounds Lounge.
The pandemic has put the kibosh on two past-festival features: the gumbo cook-off and the children's group area.
The entertainment lineup and times:
◼️ momandpop, 12:30 p.m.
◼️ Gravel Yard Bluegrass Band, 3 p.m.
◼️ Joe and the Feels, 4:45 p.m.
◼️ The Libras, 6:30 p.m.
◼️ Jesse Aycock, 8 p.m.
Present your ID and proof of vaccination or negative covid-19 test at one of several several check-in booths to receive a wristband, which will allow you to access all festival areas. The state Department of Health and nonprofit AFMC are setting up a covid-19 vaccination booth on Kavanaugh between Beechwood and Palm streets.
Parking is available at Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church, 4828 Woodlawn Drive; Pulaski Heights Presbyterian Church, 4401 Woodlawn; and Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, 2200 Kavanaugh Blvd. Festival organizers request festivalgoers not park in the Kroger lot "unless you are shopping for groceries and will only be there for a short amount of time. And please be respectful of the residents of Hillcrest and do not block any driveways."
Because of a focused attempt to increase "green-ness," no plastic bags or plastic bottles are allowed; vendors will supply reusable HarvestFest totes for items you've bought. Central Arkansas Water is providing a "water monster" for attendees who take their own refillable water bottles; for sale at the festival: an official stainless-steel HarvestFest water bottle with "carry-biner."
Visit harvestfest.us.