Join us for the family-friendly Annual Harvest & Fiber Festival over Labor Day weekend on August 31 and September 1st at Wildlife West Nature Park, in Edgewood. The Festival starts with a Tractor Parade on Saturday at 9:00 a.m. at Wildlife West and travels west along historic Route 66 to the Tractor Supply store in Edgewood.
Back at Wildlife West, visitors can spend the day at the 6th Annual Heart of New Mexico Fiber Gathering, showcasing 28 fiber artists from around the region who will demonstrate yarn spinning, knitting and quilting. Participants can feel the coats of Angora and Cashgora goats, llamas and sheep, and learn about spinning to the finished product. Take a class on Drop Spindle, Beginner’s Guide to Fiber Sheep, Hand-Weaving in Your Lap and others. Kids will have a hands-on educational table with fun activities. Plus artists selling beautiful jewelry, fused glass creations, graphite drawings, gourd art, totems made with natural materials, body painting with henna, embroidered aprons and others.
The “Harvest” part of the Festival includes experiencing an old west atmosphere throughout the Park and the Pinto Bean Museum with displays of antique bean processing equipment, farming artifacts and historic local photos, and exploring a replica of the western town of Venus (original name of Edgewood). Also on showcase will be old iron tractors, steam engines, corn shellers and other historic ranch equipment. A variety of fresh produce will be available for sale.
Get a behind the scenes tour of Koshari, Wildlife West’s 500 pound black bear, eye to eye with cougars True & Zia and see the newest arrival – a magnificent Golden Eagle. Don’t miss the fun tractor games on Sunday at 2 p.m. on the field in front of the historic Pinto Bean Barn. The Knights of Columbus volunteers will serve up pinto beans, fresh sweet corn from Schwebach Farms, and hamburgers and hot dogs throughout the weekend.
Stay for last Chuckwagon Dinner Show of the season on Saturday, August 31st from 6 – 9 p.m. Come early for the activities during the day and stay for the evening old-fashion hayride, free-flight peregrine falcon show by an expert Falconer, delicious barbeque dinner and the energetic Watermelon Mountain Jug western music concert. Reservations for the dinner show are required by 2 p.m. on the day of the show. Chuckwagon tickets are $27 for adults, $25 for seniors, $12 for children 5-11, and children 4 and younger are free.
All activities throughout the weekend, except for the Chuckwagon dinner show, are included with regular admission to Wildlife West: $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 students and children 4 and younger are free. Music performance is presented in a covered all-weather amphitheater. Plus free dry camping and parking.
Wildlife West is located just 25 minutes east of Albuquerque, off Interstate-40 and legendary Route 66 in Edgewood. For more information at call 505-281-7655 or toll-free 1-877-981-WILD (9453).
Harvest Festival:
When: Saturday & Sunday, August 31 – September 1, 2019
Where: Wildlife West Nature Park, 87 North Frontage Road, Edgewood, NM
What:
Saturday 8/31
9 a.m. Tractor Parade
10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Wildlife tours, fiber competitions & displays, tractor & machinery displays, artists & food vendors
6 p.m. Free-flight peregrine falcon show
7 p.m. Chuckwagon dinner (must RSVP by 2 pm day of show)
8 p.m. Watermelon Mountain Jug Band
Sunday 9/1
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wildlife tours, tractor & machinery displays, artists & food vendors
2 p.m. Tractor games