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By Kevin Hendricks
Corrales’ “Not-So-Rapid-Transit” tractor wagons roll again this month as the Corrales Harvest Festival returns for its 41st year, running Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26-27, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the village.
The Kiwanis Club of Corrales Foundation, a nonprofit run entirely by unpaid board and committee members, organizes the free two-day event, which has grown from about 800 visitors at its 1985 debut into a draw topping 10,000. Traffic through Corrales will be restricted for the weekend, and the festival is directing attendees to designated parking near tractor stops along the shuttle route.
While there is no charge to park, nor an admissions charge to enter most areas of the Festival, there is a requirement to have a wristband ($20 for adults – ages 13 & up, free for children 12 and under) to ride the Corrales Not-So-Rapid Transit, and to enter one area of the Festival (Kidz Zone: jump houses, mechanical bull, barrel train rides, & more/Beer Garden/Main Music Stage/Youth Entrepreneurs). At $20 for adults and free for kids 12 and under, it remains one of the metro area’s best family entertainment values of the year.
The Festival is the annual fundraiser for the 501(c)(3) Kiwanis Club of Corrales Foundation which uses the funds raised to take dozens of disadvantaged youths to an all expenses paid summer camp among its many other activities benefiting children. None of the nearly 400 volunteers required to stage the Festival is paid one cent.
New this year is the festival’s farm tour, alongside returning favorites: a kids’ market for young entrepreneurs, artist and food truck vendor booths, and the Corrales Pet Mayor election, with more than a dozen animal candidates on the ballot. The pet parade runs Sunday. Corrales artist Roberta Delgado designed this year’s festival T-shirt.
More details
- Casa San Ysidro hosts its Heritage Artist Market and craft demonstrations 10 a.m.-4 p.m. both days
- Saturday night’s ticketed Hootenanny follows the daytime festival with music, a beer garden and food trucks
- Vendor, sponsor and market registration remain open at corralesharvestfestival.com
Corrales Harvest Festival
When: Sept. 26-27, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: Village of Corrales (village-wide)
Cost: Free general admission
Info: corralesharvestfestival.com