Harvest Home Fair returns this week. Here's what to know before you go
A West Side fall festival with more than 200 years of history is around the corner.
The Harvest Home Fair returns to Cheviot this week, running Thursday through Sunday. Here's what to know about the longstanding harvest festival.
When and where is the 2024 Harvest Home Fair in Cheviot?
The Harvest Home Fair runs Thursday, Sept. 5 through Sunday, Sept. 8 at Harvest Home Park at 3961 North Bend Road in Cheviot. This year's theme is Community Heroes.
Operating hours are:
Thursday: Parade at 6 p.m., fair open until 10 p.m.
Friday: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturday: noon to 11 p.m.
Sunday: noon to 8 p.m.
On Thursday, admission is free following the parade. Friday through Sunday, admission is $5 for adults. First responders, veterans and children 12 and under are free.
When is the Harvest Home Fair parade?
Each year, the festival kicks off with a parade. The Harvest Home Parade commences down Harrison Avenue, which is the main drag of Cheviot's business district. The fair will start directly after at Harvest Home Park on North Bend Road.
The parade begins at 6 p.m. Thursday. The parade kicks off at the intersection of Harrison and Frances avenues, and continues about a half-mile eastbound on Harrison Avenue until it reaches North Bend Road. Then, the parade will turn the corner onto North Bend and proceed another half-mile north to the park.
Fair officials encourage spectators to arrive early. Enthusiastic parade attendees are known to set up their chairs a full day in advance, according to the fair's publicity chair, Sherree Thomas.
What to expect
The Harvest Home Fair features carnival rides, retail and food vendors, games, live music, a 4H show, art and flower shows, and more. A new selection of beer offerings are on tap this year in addition to a variety of seltzers at the beverage stations.
The fair tried out a few new things last year that became so successful that officials decided to bring them back, Thomas said. A cornhole tournament, set for 7 p.m. Saturday, is expanding this year. Additionally, the fair stopped its cash-only policy and started taking card payments.
The fair has a live music stage lineup posted to its website.
What's new this year?
For the safety and enjoyment of all our fair attendees, fair officials have introduced a new requirement: Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult and must be supervised throughout their entire visit. Your cooperation ensures a safe and fun experience for everyone.
Parking information
There is limited in-park parking for vendors and volunteers, with some accessible spots. On-street parking is available on streets around the park and near the ticketing gates on Davis Avenue and North Bend Road.
There is no shuttle service this year due to costs and ridership.
What's the history of the Harvest Home Fair?
The origins of the Harvest Home Fair trace back to 1806 when one of the first families who settled in neighboring Green Township had their first harvest. The fair as we know it today started in 1860. Eventually, the Green Township Agricultural Society handed the keys to the Harvest Home Park to the city of Cheviot, and the Westwood-Cheviot Kiwanis Club took over.
Cincinnati communities of Green Township, Cheviot and Westwood reap the benefits from the Harvest Home Fair. The community contributions included improvements to Harvest Home Park, tornado relief, donations to the former St. Francis-St. George Hospital, improvements at community parks, playgrounds at community schools, improvements to the Gamble-Nippert YMCA, and a variety of shelters at parks and other gathering spaces.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Harvest Home parade and fair take over Cheviot Sept. 5-8