photocredit: darrenbooth.com

BY: RACHEL SMITH

I didn’t think I’d be doing this so soon, but after Mother Nature decided to dust us with a little preview of the winter months to come, I figured it was time to wrap-up our fall fun before it was too late!

Raise your hand if you had fun at Harvest Fest!

 

photocredit: yourtango.com

 

Wasn’t it just the perfect day?  I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a Harvest Festival with that many people moseying around our beautiful Main Street.  Everywhere I looked was smiling faces; whether they were posing for photos with friends, or tasting the delicious wine and craft beer.  It was just an all-around awesome experience!

The Champagne 5K was a huge success in its debut year with almost 200 participants.  What a fun idea to get people up and moving – kudos to everyone on the planning committee!

I have to give a mammoth shout-out to the Lake Theater as well.  Not only did they offer a unique giveaway, but they had a bags game set up for the chance to win some pretty awesome prizes.  Not to toot my own horn, but…

 

photocredit: trinitychicago.org

I won a free movie pass.  Wahoo!

Throughout the day, I tried to pop into various business to see if they were reaping the benefits of the added people in town.  Based on the lines at the checkout counters in a few retail stores, and the wall-to-wall bodies inside of Rookies, I think our Main Street shops faired quite well.  And the food trucks and vendors appeared to be hustling and bustling all day as well.

Another tell-tale sign that fall is soon coming to an end, is the conclusion of our wonderful Farmer’s Market.  Week in and week out, our vendors flock to the Surf Ballroom parking lot to provide our little tourist community with amazing fresh produce and other homemade goods.  This Saturday (October 20th) is your final chance to stop down to enjoy the fun and stock up on your favorite products and fall vegetables.  Don’t miss out!

And so, as we put away our outdoor decorations and patio furniture for the long winter ahead, I hope that you guys filled your tank (remember that blog post?) with enough summer fun, food, friends and warm memories to get us through the winter months.

For us here at the Chamber, the fun never stops.  We have some incredible events planned to get us through the winter, and an upcoming winter campaign that y’all are going to LOVE.  Let me give you a small hint:  it involves food and prizes.

Stay tuned, Clear Lakers!  The fun never stops when you live in paradise (even if paradise is covered in that awful white stuff).