This past Saturday our family visited the annual Harvest Fest in downtown Belleville. We have made this a family tradition for many years. Our kids always have a lot of fun participating in the various activities. These are offered within the Belleville Area Museum, the Belleville Area District Library, and a blocked off portion of 4th Street between the two buildings.
At The Museum
On top of our kid’s favorites things to do at Harvest Fest activities every year is the scavenger hunt. The list of questions can be picked up at the front desk of the Belleville Area Museum. The list encourages participants to observe and learn as they walk about. They can gather the answers within the exhibits at the museum and resources within the library. When the hunt is complete, children can return the completed sheet to the museum and select a little prize.
Other Belleville Harvest fest activities include many hands on crafts and tasks. These give children an idea of how things were done and made in days of the past. Here young volunteers demonstrate and assist with scrub board laundry.
Here corn is being shelled. 
Some other activities offered at the museum this year included bobbing for apples, folded paper crafts, sidewalk chalk art, and photo opportunities in antique cars and buggies.
While making your way between the library and museum buildings, there are always several tables offering sale of food, drinks and baked goods to benefit local organizations.
At The Library
The entrance of the library offered stations of butter churning and soap carving. Further inside the building were stations including corn husk dolls, indian corn necklaces, and ink stamping.
And finally, another topper on my children’s favorite list every year is the petting farm and horse and pony rides. These are located in the front of the library. It is at the Belleville Harvest Fest that each one of my children experienced their first horse ride several years ago. The rides are free, but they are popular and there are usually moderate lines for them. But it’s worth the wait!
Belleville’s Harvest fest happens annually in October. It is just one of the may Booville activities that happens throughout the month. Be sure not to miss out of the fall fun. Check out the calendar of events at www.buyitinbelleville.com/Boo-ville.
