Fest brings shoppers, music fans to Spearfish

By Mary Garrigan, Journal staff | Saturday, September 27, 2008

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SPEARFISH -- Velda Edwards went shoe shopping at Sole Perfection on Saturday during the 2008 Harvest Festival, just like the Spearfish Downtown Business Association hoped she would.

Edwards, of Spearfish, had never been in Marcia Kazmer’s new shoe store, which opened  one year ago, but she spent more than $70 there Saturday after coming downtown to attend the annual fall event, which closes a block of Main Street to vehicle traffic and opens it to vendors, musicians and hundreds of sidewalk-sale shoppers.

“Absolutely,” said Kazmer, when asked if the Harvest Festival was good for business. “We struggle to let people know we’re here, so word of mouth and walk-by traffic like this is huge.”

The crowds were good and the weather was wonderful at the 21st annual event, according to organizer Tiara Heckenlaible, who was busy with customers at her Wild Rose gift shop.

“We couldn’t have asked for better weather,” Heckenlaible said of the summer-like temperatures and sunshine. “Not very fall-like, but at least it’s not snowing.”

Shocks of cornstalks turning brown in the heat decorated the streetlight poles as 27 street vendors plied their goods and services.

Jeff Drumm and Carolyn Ferrell were selling small, medium and large pumpkins for $3, $4 and $5, respectively, but watermelon was a bigger seller at their Spearfish Farmer’s Market booth than the fall-themed squash and pumpkins, thanks to temperatures in the mid-70s.

The Crow Peak 4-H Club was offering pumpkin and gourd painting for kids for $1. Toby Straker, 5, planned to paint a spider on his pumpkin while his mom, Kelly, and brother Gordie, waited nearby. The Straker family, who recently moved to Rapid City from Alaska, was making its first trip to Spearfish and Kelly liked what she found: “Antiques!”

Hope Lutheran Church handed out free caramel apples slices at its booth, which surprised passersby, Pastor Mark Schutz said.

“A lot of people say, “Free? Really?” But God’s grace and forgiveness is free, so we’re giving this away free, too,” Schutz said.

Musicians, dancers and other performers graced the free music stage. “We’re hearing a lot of good comments about the music this year,” Heckenlaible said.

Tom and Mary Lewis of Lead agreed. “It’s great,” they said, but admitted they were biased, since their son, bluegrass musician Dylan Lewis, was among the performers.

Contact Mary Garrigan at 394-8424 or mary.garrigan@rapidcityjournal.com.