Soule Homestead welcomes visitors old and new at Harvest Fair
Leo Alifin, 3, admires his face paint by Kara Andrews at the Soule Homestead Harvest Fair on Sept. 27. Photos by Grace Roche
Nate Ramos (center) and his band play at the harvest Fair. 
Dave Purpura sits with some of the produce and flowers grown on his farm. 
Ryan (left), 5, and Conner, 3, play with cranberries. 
Visitors listen to music during the Harvest Fair. 
A plot in the community garden, where some of the ingredients for the day's food offerings were harvested. 
Shoppers browse on of the vendor tents at the fair.
Leo Alifin, 3, admires his face paint by Kara Andrews at the Soule Homestead Harvest Fair on Sept. 27. Photos by Grace Roche
Nate Ramos (center) and his band play at the harvest Fair.
Dave Purpura sits with some of the produce and flowers grown on his farm.
Ryan (left), 5, and Conner, 3, play with cranberries.
Visitors listen to music during the Harvest Fair.
A plot in the community garden, where some of the ingredients for the day's food offerings were harvested.
Shoppers browse on of the vendor tents at the fair.
MIDDLEBORO — Fall themed fun filled the grounds of the Soule Homestead Education Center on Saturday, Sept. 27.
The farm’s annual Harvest Fair ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and featured food, vendors, music and activities across the homestead. People wandered the grounds to see the plants and animals on display, took hayrides around the 160-acre property and listened to musical performances at the farm’s gazebo.
Organizer Kelly MacDonald Weeks said recent volunteer John Shay helped her line up four “awesome” local musical acts. The day’s performers were Briana White, Renée Levesque, Lainey Dionne, and Nate Ramos.
MacDonald Weeks said she was happy with the turnout and saw people stream in throughout the day. She also saw the sold-out food station — which had been stocked with homemade food, much of it made with Soule-grown produce — as a sign of the day’s success.
She said the day brought both familiar and new faces to the homestead.
“What I love is that we get to see families that we see all the time, and then we get to see families that just pop in for events,” MacDonald Weeks said.
She added that she appreciates the presence of volunteers who have worked there before, because she knows they will look out for the children who attend the fair.
“It’s nice to build those relationships because we have ‘kiddos’ and volunteers we can really trust,” MacDonald Weeks said. “We've also seen a lot of new families, so it’s fun.”
Adriana LaFave and her aunt, Sue Johnson, spent the day in the Soule Homestead kitchen helping cook much of the food.
LaFave said her connection to the homestead goes back to childhood, when she would come to the after-school program. She also has a plot in the community garden, where she grows flowers.
She said it was her first time volunteering due to her work schedule, but she was glad she could help make the event a success.
“This is such a fun event, I’m glad I was able to come today,” LaFave said.
Parent Megan Christian said she has been coming to the Harvest Fair with her family for the past several years. She said she enjoys the beauty of the location and getting to listen to live music.
She said her two sons also enjoyed listening to the music, along with playing at the children’s station and with the farm animals.
“We love Soule farm, it’s a nice educational experience for the kids, and this festival is really over the top,” Christian said.
