Harbor Harvest Fall Children’s Festival Brings a Bit of Country to the City

Harbor Harvest Fall Children's Festival 2017
Harbor Harvest Fall Children’s Festival 2017 | Photo: Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore

 

Families looking for a little bit of country harvest flavor without leaving the city will find it in Baltimore’s own Inner Harbor.

The Harbor Harvest Fall Children’s Festival is back for its 14th year running.

Presented by the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore and Verizon, the festival will take place on Sunday, Oct. 24, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Rash Field, 300 Key Highway, next to the Maryland Science Center.

“It’s grown each year into an even more fun, and more robust, event for children,” says Waterfront Partnership President Laurie Schwartz.

Envisioned as a way to bring fun fall activities which city children don’t normally have access to into their backyard, the festival offers a great opportunity for families to enjoy new experiences with their children, she says.

Admission to the festival is free, with a $3 fee for pony rides and $2 fee for trackless train rides.

Stilts at Harbor Harvest 2017
Stilt walkers at Harbor Harvest Fall Children’s Festival 2017 | Photo: Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore

A “Harbor Harvest Kid’s Pass,” on sale for $7 in advance and $10 at the festival, includes a pumpkin to decorate, a fall craft and a cookie decorating kit. Visit waterfrontpartnership.org for tickets.

Other free activities include a petting zoo, hay maze and face painting. Stilt walkers from Baltimore Hoop Love will be making their way through the grounds as families sample items from local food trucks.

Harbor Harvest will also have entertainment from children’s musicians. Grammy-nominated Milkshake—a regional rock trio—is known for dressing in costumes and bringing children up on stage, Schwartz says.

Mr. Jon & Friends is led by singer-songwriter Jon Lewis, who got his start working with children in downtown Frederick’s library.

In the event of cancellation to adhere to local COVID-19 regulations or inclement weather, Kid’s Pass items will be available for pickup at a determined date and all proceeds of the festival will go toward children’s programming at the adjacent Rash Field Park.

The new park opens Nov. 5 after completion of Phase I of the Waterfront Partnership project.

The first phase will include an adventure park with 35-foot wooden towers, a nature park with learning opportunities, a skate park, shade lawn and waterfront café (opening this spring).

In 2013, the Waterfront Partnership updated its master plan to prioritize the redevelopment of Rash Field so that residents of the city could enjoy more free amenities and spaces, Schwartz says.

Although tourists are always welcome, she wants to draw Baltimore families back to the harbor. What better way than with a new park built with children in mind, she says.

“The Inner Harbor belongs to the city and to the citizens of Baltimore,” Schwartz says.

About Lindsay VanAsdalan

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