Kathy Graham set up her tent as the early morning rays lit up downtown Alachua.
Graham, of Graham Farms, unloaded her jars of strawberry and grape spreads, ready for her early crowd of jam fans.
“I’ve got a 1-800-jam-addiction hotline set up,” she joked. “You can get that in a grocery store, but it won’t be mine.”
About 7,000 people flocked to downtown Alachua on Sunday to spend time with family and honor local veterans at the 10th annual Alachua Harvest Festival.
Coordinated around UF’s Homecoming weekend, the festival fell on Veterans Day for the first time this year. The celebration kicked off with renditions of “God Bless America” and “God Bless the USA.”
Founded in 2003, the semiannual festival began with about 15 vendors and only a few hundred visitors. Now, 5,000 to 7,000 people attend each spring and fall festival.
“Pretty much the whole town comes out,” said Rosanne Morse, treasurer of the Alachua Business League, one of the festival sponsors.
More than 200 vendors of diverse products ranging from gourmet dog treats to Bolga baskets lined a half-mile stretch of Main Street to connect with the community and grow their businesses, Morse said.
Proceeds from the festival will be put toward a scholarship that will pay for a year’s tuition at Santa Fe College for a Santa Fe High School student interested in studying business or entrepreneurship.
Musicians played a range of music for crowds at two stage areas all afternoon, and locals grilled up a range of cultural fare including barbecue, seafood and Cuban food. Children bounced in inflatable houses and enjoyed face painting and games. Morse said nonprofit companies got to participate in the festival for free if they provided an activity for children.
The Cub Scouts of Pack 88 collected Christmas and thank-you cards, and money for the Military Support Group of Alachua County to send to troops overseas. Several vendors offered specials or discounts for veterans, said Kelly Harris, logistics coordinator for the festival and owner of Kelly’s Kreations Gift Baskets.
As a small-business owner, Harris said showing potential customers her baskets in person makes a huge difference.
“People come over to my booth and they’re like, ‘Oh, wow! I see what you do,’” she said.
