Multiple events set for next week

Greenfield residents Milissa Farmer and children (from left) Dylan, Elijah, Isaiah and Brandon stroll through the Heritage Fair late Friday afternoon.

PENDLETON — As busy as Pendleton is on most weekends in the summer — with the farmers market, concerts and more — perhaps the busiest week is on the horizon, with the Heritage Fair and Fall Festival set for Friday, Sept. 8, and Saturday, Sept. 9; ParkFest just one day earlier; Spring Valley Quilt Guild show running Thursday through Sunday; and Friends of the Pendleton Community Library Lucky Duck Race on Saturday.Heritage Fair“It should be good,” Heritage Fair co-organizer Dusten Tryon said about one of two new activities planned for the event, which takes place 10 to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Falls Park near the Community Building.“The engine and (antique) tractor show hasn’t been around for decades … it’s a return from years past.”Tryon, who is vice president of Friends of Falls Park, which runs the fair, said at least 25 collectors are going to bring their machines into the park and display them along Fall Creek, from the Community Building toward Falls Bark Dog Park.With each participant expected to bring multiple units, “I’m going to say there are going to be many dozens” of tractors and engines, he said.The second addition to Heritage Fair will be a petting zoo, an event meant to appeal to families.“There will be all sorts of fuzzy creatures for people to enjoy,” he said, including specialty goats and ponies, and bunnies.“So, cute animals that the kids will love.”Heritage Fair will also feature a marked increase in the number of vendors — from 100 last year to 160 this year.He said there will be many artist booths, including craftspeople and makers, “quite a number of potters,” as well as fine artists (painters).One vendor makes a wide variety of objects, including jewelry and fire pits, out of concrete.“We also have seven music acts lined up over the two days,” Tryon said.Performances are set for 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. both days, and each show is scheduled for two hours.Six of the concerts take place at the shelter by the Community Building, while one of the 1 p.m. Saturday shows takes place at the park gazebo near the main entrance (see schedule, right).There is no entry charge for the fair, but parking to the east of the event area costs $5.Fair music scheduleFriday, Sept. 810 a.m.-noon: Silver Strummers — mountain dulcimer group1-3 p.m.: Sweet Country and the Dog Biscuits — county/gospel/folk4-6 p.m.: Emily Ann Thompson with Kel — Celtic (fiddle) duoSaturday, Sept. 910 a.m.-noon: Mountain Laurel — bluegrass1-3 p.m.: Cliff Ritchey — indie folk1-3 p.m. (at gazebo): Sweet Country and the Dog Biscuits — county/gospel/folk4-6 p.m.: Rock Bottom Boys of Madison County — bluegrassFall FestivalA short walk south of the park, Pendleton Business Association will be conducting Fall Festival, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.The festival will feature more than 80 vendors, with many of them located in the parking lot at the southeast corner of Pendleton Avenue and State Street, organizer Niki Brown said.“That’s going to be considered the vendors market … that’s going to take the vendors off State Street,” Brown said, noting one change made from last year because of safety concerns.Vendors will still be located on the parts of Pendleton Avenue that will be closed to traffic, which include a block north of State Street, and south of State Street to the first alley. The latter section is where the food vendors are set up, which is unchanged from previous years.Brown said there will be a wide variety of food available, including traditional American options, chicken and pork kebabs, Filipino fare and specialty drinks.Among the vendors, there are several bakeries as well as clothing boutiques.“The thing that’s really hitting this year is crocheted items,” she said.Downtown businesses also will be open during the festival.“I know that all of the businesses are prepping to have their stores ready,” Brown said.For some, that will include displaying entries in a scarecrow contest, which this year has a theme of “harvest moon.”Brown said last year it was estimated that 13,000 people visited Pendleton on the festival weekend.So, new this year, to help with parking, there will be shuttle service on Saturday between the parking lots at the Pendleton Elementary School buildings and downtown.Also, to help people get information on the festival, there will be a QR codes displayed on signage around the event, so people can scan it with their phones and link directly to heritage fair information and announcements.ParkFestStella Luna and the Satellites will perform at the annual ParkFest concert fundraiser for Falls Park, set for 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, at Barnhart Field in Pendleton’s Falls Park.The event is BYOP — bring your own picnic. People are invited to bring food, drink, chairs and blankets. A BYOP contest will award prizes for the best-decorated space (judging will be from 6:15 to 6:30 p.m.).Other activities returning this year include: Chalk the Walk contest conducted by Pendleton Heights High School art students and a children’s activity area provided by Drug Free South Madison County Coalition.Tickets for people 11 and older cost $15 and are available at https://event.ontaptickets.com/events/parkfest-2023-in-pendleton-in-9-7-2023. A “FestPack” package of four tickets costs $50. (Click the blue “Packages Available” button at the website.)There is no entry fee for those 10 and younger.ParkFest 2023 T-shirts will be sold during the event, $10 for children, $20 adults.Rain date for ParkFest is Sept. 10.Parking will be available near Falls Bark Dog Park, YMCA and Alvin D. Brown Memorial Swimming Pool. VIP and parking for people with disabilities is available at the Falls Park office. Golf cart parking is available off Water Street.Proceeds from the event benefit the Falls Park amphitheater project.For more details, visit Fallsparkfest.com.Duck raceFriends of the Pendleton Community Library will conduct the 10th annual Lucky Duck Race at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, near the falls in Falls Park.The Friends group is selling entries to the race for $5 each.Yellow rubber ducks (one for each entry) are dropped into the creek for a race downstream to determine the winners.Prizes (a mix of cash and gift cards) are: first place — $150; second — $100; and third and last duck out — $75.Orange rubber ducks for event sponsors also race the course. The winner of the sponsor race will receive a six-month membership to Community Sports and Wellness Center and other recognition.Ducks are available at the Pendleton Community Public Library circulation desk during regular hours and at a booth at the Heritage Fair until noon Saturday.Race proceeds will benefit library programs and other community projects, such as collaborative work space at Pendleton Heights High School and chess/checkerboards in the park.Last year’s event raised $7,817 with 827 ducks in the race.Quilt showSpring Valley Quilt Guild’s Quilts in the Park show will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, through Saturday, Sept. 9, and from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10, at Pendleton Historical Museum in Falls Park.Quilts in the Park’s goal is to support the museum and promote the love of needlework.A $5 visitor donation to the museum will be accepted at the door.About 100 quilts created by local quilters will be on display inside the museum.Quilts will judged for the show in the following categories:Hand-quilted: All techniques except Art, all sizesSmall Bed: Pieced, Machine-quilted (perimeter = less than 325”)Large Bed: Pieced, Machine-quilted (perimeter = 325” or larger)Appliqué: Machine-quilted, All sizesSmall Wall: All techniques (perimeter = less than 150”)Large Wall: All techniques (perimeter = 150” or larger)Art: All techniquesMiscellaneous quilted itemsTheme: “Stars,” any technique, any size. *This category is only open to quilt guild members in good standing.Claudia Lash’s Ferris Wheel workshop quilt. *This category is only open to quilt guild members in good standing.Quilters’ first-time entry ever in any quilt showQuilt entries must be delivered to Pendleton Historical Museum between 1 and 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5. There is no entry fee.There will also be sales — Fabric Frenzy (quilting supplies) and Marketplace (handmade items) — Thursday through Saturday, as well as demonstrations:Friday, Sept. 810 a.m. — Cross Stitching11 a.m. — Yo-Yo PumpkinsNoon — Crochet Basics1 p.m. — 3-D Flowers2 p.m. — Hand QuiltingSaturday, Sept. 910 a.m. — Freezer Paper Piecing11 a.m. — Cuddle FabricsNoon — Scrap Quilting1 p.m. — Cartonnage2 p.m. — Hexies3 p.m. — Fabric PaintingFor more details on the quilt show, call Suzie Pierce at 317-750-4001.

Lindsay Fuller, aerialist and co-owner of Aerial Fit 2 Fly, performs at Pendleton Fall Festival on Friday, Sept. 9.

Friends of the Pendleton Community Library Lucky Duck Race fundraiser in Fall Creek in 2022.