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Ely’s annual fall festival is on for next month - and it’s in the running for national recognition.
The Harvest Moon Festival, now in its 30th year, is slated for Sept. 6-8 at Ely’s Whiteside Park.
The event has carved an identity of its own as a smaller, more laid-back version of the July Blueberry/Art Festival, and for the second consecutive year fans of the Harvest Moon can vote to give it national acclaim.
According to a news release from the Ely Chamber of Commerce, the Ely event is up against top fall events from other parts of the country in a survey being conducted by USA Today.
Voting is now underway as USA Today looks for online votes to narrow a list of 20 fall festivals down to 10 in its “Best Fall Festival” poll.
Chamber officials are putting the call out to Ely fans to get the word out, via social media and other means to vote for Ely.
Fans can log in to any of the Ely Chamber Facebook pages including The Ely Chamber of Commerce, Harvest Moon Festival, Blueberry Art Festival and Ely MN Events, to find the link to vote.
Voting began Monday and continues through Monday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m. Winners will be announced the following week.
As the survey continues, Chamber officials are gearing up for a busy Harvest Moon weekend, which comes on the heels of a Blueberry/ Art weekend that was remembered for its scorching heat.
The Harvest Moon event will include three days at Ely’s Whiteside Park packed with 120 arts and crafts booths, and plenty of food and beverage options.
The event compares in some respects to the Blueberry/ Art Festival, but on a much smaller scale.
Staff will mark the park on Tuesday of that week and set up Chamber booths on Wednesday. Vendors arrive for setup on Thursday. The three-day event typically draws about 15,000 to Ely.
The event usually includes booths filled with original arts and crafts, including paintings, fish carving signs, turned bowls, rustic furniture, pottery, photographs, handcrafted jewelry and more.
Arts and crafts make up a big part of Harvest Moon weekend, but the food court is a popular stop for festival-goers as well.
Festival hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 6 and 7, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8.
In conjunction with the festival, businesses are encouraged to participate in the four-day Harvest Business Days event that opens on Thursday, Sept. 5 and runs through the weekend. The Thursday start allows vendors the opportunity to enjoy shopping before the festival begins.
Some participating businesses offer sales or specials but that is not required to take part in the promotion.
A Harvest Days map, business list and festival map with a vendor list will be available starting Aug. 30, at www.ely.org/events/ harvest-moon.
