On Sept. 27, Dickinson College Farm opened their gates to students for its 20th Harvest Fest. Shuttles from Kaufman parking lot took students the the farm where there was an array of local food and drink, a bonfire, live bluegrass and contradancing. This year the festival offered tomato soup, vegetable soup, fresh fries and of course freshly pressed apple cider, as well as Leo’s ice cream later in the night. 

Anna Purvis ’26 said the most impressive part of Harvest Fest was “the amount of food they are serving here with so few [staff] serving.” Alex Arnold ’27, a college farm employee, stated that the french fries were certainly a highlight of the evening. 

The selection of warm food gathered a large crowd before local bluegrass band, Contra Rebels, began to play. Contra Rebels — with Barb Schmid on fiddle, Todd Clewell on fiddle and Henry Koretzky on guitar — provided a stunning soundtrack to the evening as Bob Nickelson “called” dance steps for a barn full of students. 

When asked what the best part of Harvest Fest was, Koretzky said “we’ve been doing this a long time, so it’s been nice to see the growth, things expand; the barn has been renovated the green houses put in.” The group has been playing music at Dickinson since before Harvest Fest was a farm event. Koretzky remembers “playing in some building on campus probably twenty years ago.” The barn was filled with laughter and shouts as students spun and do-si-doed the night away. 

The wet weather and constant rain showers did not dampen the spirits at Harvest Fest as the bonfire roared on, warming a circle of Harvest Fest goers. Alex Arnold ’27 shared his thoughts on the real purpose of Harvest Fest: “what you are seeing here is just a little bit of a celebration…because it means a successful harvest season and there is a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes.” The Dickinson College Farm Harvest Fest was a  celebration of abundance and growth for the farm and the community as the event continues to be a smash success each year.