Harvest Festival @ Palmer Park

Autumn in Detroit would not be complete without a hayride through Palmer Park’s colorful trails through its historic Old Growth Forest. People for Palmer Park’s annual Harvest Festival on Saturday, September 20 from 1-4 pm celebrates the Fall Equinox — the official first day of fall —with a bountiful harvest of the Palmer Park apple trees, and free family fun and activities for all ages!

The area across from the Splash Park on Merrill Plaisance, adjacent to People for Palmer Park’s Community Garden and Community House at 990 Merrill Plaisance, will be feature a petting zoo, where children can interact with adorable animals, brush and learn how to groom and care for them and dress them up in unicorn and magical fashions; pumpkin picking and decorating; and arts and crafts for those looking to showcase their artistic talents. Children ride a pony, pet a snake, or make nature crowns in PFPP’s big blue art tent. The Huron Clinton Metropark Mobile Learning Center will provide hands-on fun with furs, feathers, skulls, skeletons, artifacts, as well as snakes and other live animals. Live entertainment will be ongoing with music, storytelling, and more.

The season’s favorites will be served: apple tasting (with several different varieties of the Palmer Park apples), apple cider and donuts for the first 500, and freshly-roasted corn on the cob. There will also be additional food for purchase.

“HarvestFest is a wonderful opportunity for families and friends to enjoy the beauty of the season and create lasting memories together,” explains Stacy Varner, People for Palmer Park’s President, “it is also a fascinating event for all ages to learn about how our food is grown, the lives of farm animals, and nature in the park. We are thrilled to continue the tradition of holding free community celebrations in Palmer Park, started by the Palmer family in the late 1800s.”

More than a century ago, Senator Thomas Palmer and his wife Lizzie Merrill Palmer often would invite guests to enjoy their Log Cabin Farm, drink freshly pressed apple cider, and enjoy the harvest. Palmer donated the land in the late 1800s to the City of Detroit to serve as a park “for the good of all.” In honor of the harvest and in tribute to the Palmer legacy, this event follows this legacy.

The event takes place next to Palmer Park’s Community House on Merrill Plaisance near Pontchartrain, between McNichols and Seven Mile Roads, west of Woodward Avenue. Parking is available at the Splash Park parking lot.

Sponsors: Presented by People for Palmer Park with the support of the City of Detroit Parks & Recreation Dept., Del Bene Produce, Eastern Market, AETNA. Special thanks to Home Depot for a grants and volunteers that made it possible to build the PFPP Educational Garden.