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Talent Harvest Fest returns after 2 years By Tony Boom Updated: Sep 19, 2022 05:15 PM A A Some popular attractions, however, won’t be returning Harley Shepherd has her face painted during the 2016 Talent Harvest Festival. The event will return this fall after a two-year absence. [Mail Tribune / Jamie Lusch] Talent’s Harvest Festival returns Oct. 1 after a two-year absence prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery from the September 2020 Almeda Fire. “It’s been two years since we held it last, so we are trying to bring back a sense of normal life. I think people are ready and eager to experience (an) in-city event,” said Hector Flores, city community engagement director, who is on the team organizing the event. The Talent Business Alliance also is helping with organization. The festival may serve as a homecoming of sorts for Hispanic residents who were displaced by the Almeda Fire, said Lucero Martinez, the city’s bilingual community recovery liaison. Festival events will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Talent. Runs of 5- and 10-kilometer lengths will begin at 8 a.m. Music, local art, booths for vendors and organizations all will be featured. Main Street from Front Street to Talent Avenue will be closed to accommodate an anticipated 50-plus vendors. The city also will close City Hall Drive and North Market Street off Main for booths. There will be two performance stages. Stage 1 will be in the Grotto parking lot, which also will feature a beer garden and another area for vendors. Seating will be available for performances by bluegrass group Seed Grass, a mariachi band, Adam Gabriel and a Puerto Rican band. In between performances, a DJ will play music. Stage 2 will host performances for children. It will be located on the stage adjacent to City Hall with seating. Live music also will be performed at Camelot Theatre from noon to 5 p.m. and at Gather Café from 11:30 a.m. until about 4 p.m. Local organizations that will have information booths include United Way of Jackson County, Unente, Northwest Seasonal Workers, Habitat for Humanity, the Phoenix High School Leadership Club, Jackson County Community Long-Term Recovery Group, Firebrand Resiliency Collective and Talent Business Alliance. Food trucks and food vendors will be located next to the Town Hall and close to the open area between City Hall and Market Street. Among the food vendors are Filipino Fire food truck, Sultan’s Delight and Hilltop Coffee. “The typical vendor you will see at a farmers market will be there. It’s kind of an end of the year for them,” said Flores. Harvested food and arts and crafts items will be available. There will be an extended vendor’s market until 7 p.m. in the Stage 1 area. City officials will be at the festival. Flores expects that city councilors and Mayor Darby Ayers-Flood will be present, along with opponents who filed against them for seats in the November election. State Sen. Jeff Golden also will attend, he said. Talent Police Department and the Community Outreach program will also have booths. The city’s Public Art Committee will offer an art activity for kids. Two electric vehicle makers from Portland are bringing vehicles to show at the festival. One is an electric tractor. There also will be a trailer on display that offers explanations of electric vehicles and green energy. Former city sustainability coordinator Michael Hoch, who now works for one of the manufacturers, was instrumental in arranging the EV display for the festival. Talent Historical Society on Market Street will be open during the festival with a display on the town’s history. The revival will vary from past iterations a bit. There won’t be a parade, and some of the play features won’t be available. “Some of the fun stuff from previous years is hard to get,” said Flores. Inflatable castles and bounce houses couldn’t be secured. The popular dunk tank won’t be around either. The previous one came from Phoenix High School, but since the school was rebuilt its whereabouts couldn’t be determined. A lack of city staff to close off the parade route and handle arrangements precluded a parade this year. A book sale at the Talent library, a popular festival event, is returning. It’s the largest fundraising event put on during the year by Talent Library Club, which supports the library. In previous years more than 200 people have visited the sale, said librarian Patrick Mathewes. Items aren’t priced, and buyers make purchases on a donation basis. “We always try to provide one free book for the kids that come,” said Mathewes. By asking for donations, it gives kids the opportunity to come in and buy something for under a dollar, he said. Money raised supports activities put on for children at the library. Most of the books are donated to the Library Club. There also is a large supply of CDs and DVDs available this year, said Mathewes. Sometimes there are vinyl LPs on sale. Vendors who want to participate can find an application form at cityoftalent.org. Southern Oregon Runners is putting on the runs with information at sorunners.org. For more details, see talentbusinessalliance.org/talentharvestfestival . Information in Spanish is available at somostalent.net . Reach Ashland freelance writer Tony Boom at [email protected].