October 15, 2009

Arts > Attractions

Downtown Urbana to Host Hometown Harvest October 24

by Gary Schenkel

Downtown Urbana will host a full day of activities Saturday, October 24 during Hometown Harvest, sponsored by the Monument Square District.

The event, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., will include contests, music, a wide selection of food, a straw maze, kids’ activity tent, storytelling, a pie auction, downtown sales and more.

Contests
Entry forms can be downloaded at www.monumentsquaredistrict.org for two contests to be decided the day of Hometown Harvest:

• A create your own scarecrow contest, with a $75 first place prize, $50 for second and $25 for third.
• The Pumpkin Cook-off, in which contestants enter an already-prepared dish that features pumpkin as the main ingredient. Prizes will be presented for first three places. Drop off entries at 1 p.m. at former AAA building, southeast corner of Monument Square. Judging at 2 p.m.

Entry deadline for both contests is October 21. For more information, call Tina Knotts, tinak@champaignohio.com, 653-5764 or Shelly Edwards at shellybear69@hotmail.com, 653-3334.

Festival Activities
Hometown Harvest will also feature:

• Kids’ activities and craft tent and straw maze in the gravel lot at the southeast corner of Monument Square
• A pie auction led by auctioneer Todd Woodruff from 4 to 5 p.m. in front of Guild Galleries. Proceeds will go toward the holiday decorating and lighting fund for downtown Urbana
• Performance artist Mark Abbati, who has entertained at the Champaign County Fair, will perform 1 to 4 p.m. as a scarecrow, combining classical mime gestures and techniques with mannequin character poses. His appearance is being sponsored by Hearth and Home Assisted Living.
• Strolling music by Cousin Earl and Friends, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Live music in front of the Hometown Music store, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Pottery demonstrations at the Scioto Street Art Gallery throughout the day
• Yarn spinning, pumpkin and gourd carving, kettle corn and apple butter making
• Storytelling by the Urbana University Library and Champaign County Library, noon to 4 p.m.
• Vendors from the Champaign County Farmers’ Market will be on the square during the celebration. Other vendors will be at the market’s usual spot, at Locust and Market streets, east of the Urbana Municipal Building, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
• Fall decorations around the square by Burton’s Lawn and Landscape of Woodstock
• Fall window displays by downtown merchants
• Family portraits will be taken on the Courthouse steps by TMPhotography of St. Paris, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• A display of more than 30 antique tractors around the square

Vendors Welcome
Food and non-food vendors may sign up to participate downtown during Hometown Harvest. Contact, Shelly Edwards at shellybear69@hotmail.com, 937-508-8764 or Tina Knotts of the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce at info@champaignohio.com