It was a blistering hot day for the 3rd annual Bay Harvestfest in North Beach, making the autumnal floral arrangements scattered around the boardwalk seem out of place. I had to keep reminding myself that it was early October.
Occasionally, I saw something to remind me, like the cream of crab soup cook-off (a new event for this year). However, I saw just as many signs of summer: stands selling snocones or ice cream, a booth selling sundresses and swimmers enjoying the last warm days before the autumn chill sets in.
Bay Harvestfest is the biggest event I’ve attended yet in North Beach. I remembered from previous events that parking tends to be an issue there, so I arrived a little early. The main parking lots were charging $5 to park, but I got right in and was directed to a space.
Going early has its advantages. I got to grab a gyro from one of the food stands before there were any lines, and finding a place to sit and eat was not a problem. I also got to watch the sound check for Sam Grow Band – one of the main attractions for this year. By the time the band started their performance at 12:30, it had gotten pretty crowded.
After wandering the length of the festival, I walked over to the race set-up for the Southern BarnYard Runners so I could see the pig and duck races. My group’s pigs won 2 out of the 3 pig races. Our duck didn’t even come close. It was more entertaining than I expected. And hey, the pigs race for Oreos. Who could blame them?
While I think I would have enjoyed the festival a whole lot more if it actually felt like fall, it was very well done. It offered a variety of food, entertainment and shopping, as well as a fun day on the bay.
Bay Harvestfest – North Beach Boardwalk
410-257-9618
http://www.northbeachmd.org