Harvest Festival Celebrates End of 16th Camas Farmer’s Market Season

Camas, WA — The community is invited to celebrate the bounty of the season at the Camas Farmer’s Market Harvest Festival on Wednesday, September 27^th from 3 pm-7 pm. This event marks the end of the 2023 season for the market, hosted in historic Downtown Camas. The festival features fall themed games, décor and photo ops alongside local farmed produce and flowers, artisan foods, and diverse dinner options. The Harvest Festival is located at 625 NE 4^th Avenue, in front of the Camas Library.

Shoppers have shown their affinity for shopping local and supporting local food systems throughout this year’s 18-week market season. The Camas Farmer’s Market saw record highs for attendance and many vendors enjoyed record sales, despite multiple days of high temperatures. The sustainably harvested farm-to-table produce, flowers, and honey, in addition to hand crafted artisan foods including pasta sauce, nut butters, kombucha, and wide variety of international cuisines, have been a winning combination for vendors and shoppers alike. 

All vendors accept cash and credit cards at their booths, and participating farms also accept WIC/Senior benefits cards. SNAP beneficiaries can start their shopping trip at the Information Booth at the corner of 4^th and Everett, to take advantage of the SNAP Market Match Program, where they can receive up to $25 additional match dollars for fresh market produce.

The festival will feature market favorite musician Terry Baber from 3 pm-7 pm. Terry has been playing steel pan drum for nearly 20 years. Listeners will enjoy his relaxed island-inspired steel drum classics. The market will feature a variety of delicious dinner options, including Greek options from Getta Gyro authentic Mexican inspired fare from Razo’s Tacos, empanadas from Melted Crumbs, and hot pretzels from XYZ Baked Goods. Festival Goers looking for a sweet treat will find no shortage of artisan baked goods, such as European baked goods from Camas Market and Bakery, finely decorated cookies from Blue Gem Bakery, and rice crispy treats and other goodies from truly scrumptious. Games and activities for all ages will be offered, including a raffle for a grand prize of a wagon full of local produce and treats, donated by Camas Farmer’s Market vendors. Kids can enjoy free face painting from Mandi Moon Artistry. Games include pumpkin bowling, corn hole, and a harvest spinning wheel.

At its core, the Harvest Festival is a celebration of local farmers. The market hosted over 20 unique farms in 2023. Some farmers, like Dan and Caroline Swansey from Yacolt Farm, have been in the market for over 10 seasons. This year also brought opportunities for vendors that are new to farming, including artisan mushroom grower Rod Seal from Shroom’n 2 U. Visitors are encouraged to shop, dine, and connect with their community at the final market of the season.

“We are so excited to celebrate the end of the Market and harvest season with the community!” says Shannon Van Horn, President of the Camas Farmer’s Market Board of Directors. “We are very grateful for all the support from our sponsors, the City of Camas, and our customers! It was wonderful to see how many people still braved all weather conditions to support all their local farmers and other vendors!  Please join us for a fun celebration to round out our 16th season, and we look forward to seeing you again in Spring 2024!”

The Camas Farmer’s Market is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides local and sustainable foods to the community of Camas and beyond. For more information, visit camasfarmersmarket.org. Follow the market on Facebook or Instagram. Get up to date information about events and vendors from the Camas Farmer’s Market newsletter, click here to sign up.

Written by Downtown Camas Association.