The Findley Lake Harvest Fest will return this year after a one-year hiatus due to COVID. Most of the activities will return, including inflatables and a petting zoo. Live music will also be provided including the band Juvenile Characteristics pictured here performing at the 2019 Harvest Fest Photos by David Prenatt

FINDLEY LAKE — “We’re coming back pretty close to 100%,” said Larry Gross, president of Our Own Candle Company in Findley Lake, which organizes the Harvest Fest.

The annual Harvest Fest, which could not take place last year, will be making up for lost time in 2021. The event will take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Findley Lake has always been a village that enjoys its annual events. However, the COVID pandemic prohibited most of its events, including the ever-popular Kids’ Day in both 2020 and 2021 and last year’s Harvest Fest.

Gross said this year’s Harvest Fest will follow all CDC guidelines.

“We’ll have cleaning stations throughout the town with double-sided sinks and hand sanitizers throughout the town, as well,” he said. “We’ll use as much common sense as we can.”

Gross also said this year’s event will have pretty much everything that was available in previous years. For instance, there will be a kids area with a bounce house, inflatables and a petting zoo. A crew of people will be there to space the kids out, he said.

There will be a great variety of food including chicken, hot dogs and briskets, Gross said. There will be a beer tent in the Our Own Candle Company parking lot and there will be wine vendors.

The music this year will be “fantastic,” Gross said. It’s across the board from classic rock and roll to blues. This years performers include Shady Side on Friday evening; the Ron Yarman band of Erie, Juvenile characteristics of New Castle and the Duke Sherman band on Saturday; Sunday will feature two very well-known bands: the Grammy nominated Mike Brown Band and the nationally known Dave Stillman Band.

“There will be music at Alexander’s, as well,” Gross said.

Ericka Hess of Alexander’s on the Lake said the group Katie & Jessie will be playing on Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m. She said there will also be some items on special at the restaurant.

Some changes include parking, Gross said. There will be two temporary lots — one on Mann Road and one at the tennis courts on School Street. Hay rides will pick people up along the way, if needed, he said.

“Everybody has been very cooperative in getting things spread out,” Gross said.

Also, the vendors and stores throughout town have contributed, so everything is free this year, including the kids’ area, he said. Gross said that the event, which generally attracts many hundreds of visitors, is generating much excitement.

“They’ll be happier once it’s actually happening and they are here,” he added.

Gross said organizers are following health guidelines and doing all they can to keep people spaced out.

“Hopefully, as many people as possible are vaccinated,” he said.

Gross noted that many area businesses sponsored the even including OCCC, Findley Lake Fashions, Pine Junction, Secret Cubby, Twin Docks and Alexander’s On The Lake.