Submitted by: James Shehan, james@typevisions.com or (209) 480-1533
The 10th installment of the annual Denair Farm & Family Festival promises to be the best one yet. There will be music, food, a tractor parade, dozens of booths and fun for the whole family when the community comes together on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“There is truly something for everyone,” said James Shehan, the chairman of the Denair Farm & Family Association, which organizes the event.
The festival typically draws 5,000 or more visitors to Denair each year. They are treated to a host of fun activities on Main Street between Sante Fe Avenue and Gratton Road.
The day starts with the Farm Run 5K. Registration opens at 7 a.m. and the race begins at 8 a.m. The route winds from downtown out into the country and back.
“They can walk or run with their dog, they can bicycle, whatever they’d like to do,” Shehan said of participants.
At 9 a.m., the festival truly kicks off with an antique tractor parade down Main Street. There are more than 20 vintage tractors owned by local farmers scheduled to appear. All the tractors later will be on display at the Farm Discovery Zone at the Community Center, which also will have an exhibit of hay harvesting equipment from the turn of the century to modern times.
After the parade, visitors can browse among more than 100 booths featuring jewelry, home decor, information on local companies and organizations, clothing, toys, gifts and plenty of food. There also will be a children’s play area with a bounce house and other games.
At 10:30, the music begins. California Creedence will perform the hits of Creedence Clearwater Revival as well as other popular songs from the 1960s and ’70s until 1:30 p.m. Later in the afternoon, the popular local ukulele band Sunshine Strummers also will take the stage.
Shehan said the Denair Farm & Family Association annually raises $2,500 to $3,000, which it gives out as scholarships each spring to graduates of Denair High School.
When the festival is over, visitors who still have an appetite are invited to stick around for the annual Denair Volunteer Fire Department barbecue that follows.
