Harvest Festival Continues Fall Tradition at Buell's Orchard

EASTFORD — Buell’s Orchard held its annual Harvest Festival on Saturday, Oct. 11. The event, which was held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., included live music, hay rides, a chicken barbeque, apple and pumpkin picking, ice cream by Buck’s Soft Serve, face painting, and a special appearance by Billy Steers, author of the “Tractor Mac” children’s book series. The event is usually held on Saturday and Monday (with limited activities on Sunday), but due to inclement weather on Monday, Oct. 13, the festival was limited to just Saturday.

Adam Minor photos

two children on a tractor Young Dalton and Laurel Patenaude, of Eastford, enjoy a pretend ride on a tractor at the Buell’s Orchard Harvest Festival on Saturday, Oct. 11. The annual event attracted thousands of people to the orchard to enjoy a variety of family-friendly activities.

a band with a fiddle, a mandolin, a guitar, a banjo, and an upright bass The Shady Creek Band kept the music going all day.

a child posing with Spider-man face paint Young Abel is all smiles after getting his face painted.

two people posing with cider and a popcorn machine David Budd and Porter Barlow are all business at the popcorn station.

a man driving a tractor with a trailer full of people, and another man with a set of stairs to help them get off Lincoln Budd delivers a group of people from the pumpkin patch, and Seth Budd is ready to help them disembark.

man at a grill John Buell preps chicken low and slow (for that extra smoky flavor) for lunch.

three people posing with a pumpkin in front of a field of pumpkins The Durning family, from left, Karen, Brianna, and Matt, of Woodstock, find the perfect pumpkin.

people talking at a book table A family greets “Tractor Mac” author Billy Steers at his booth.