BY PHILL BARNETT
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The Martin County Harvest Festival drew a large crowd Friday and Saturday in downtown Inez. From the vendors to the activities and games to the top-notch performances, this year’s festival had something for everyone.
In the scarecrow competition, Martin County Healthcare Facility claimed victory in the business category and Susan Sparks in the residential category.
The UK Extension Office won Saturday’s parade float competition.
The Kiwanis duck race featured a competitive heat, but ultimately Duck No. 24 won the race for Brayden Maynard.
Martika and Atticus Scott won first place in the pumpkin decorating contest. Second place went to Chloe Jude.
Each of the elementary schools participated in The Great Pumpkin Kindergarten Coloring Contest. Waylon Ray was the winner at Warfield Elementary; Raylee Oaks won at Inez Elementary and Bailey Hinkle won at Eden.
Saturday kicked off with a cruise-in at the First State Bank parking lot, featuring 32 classic and luxury cars and trucks. The cruise-in was organized by Bill Preece, who also organized a cruise-in in July that raised money for a scholarship for a Martin County student to pursue a career in auto or diesel mechanics. Preece says he aims to have one more this year and that the Harvest Fest cruise-in could not have been pulled off without the help of his friends Barry Horn and Chris Hale.
Greater Martin County Kiwanis Club organized the annual event after COVID shuttered it in 2020 and 2021.
“Overall, it went great,” Kiwanis president Melissa Fannin Phelps said. “There is always room for improvement, but I think people were happy to have it back.”
Friday night’s turnout exceeded Phelps’ expectations.
“The crowd Friday night was better than I have ever seen,” she said. “Our vendors all seemed pleased with how they did. We had several who sold out Friday night and rushed home to get more supplies for Saturday.
“It’s so enjoyable to look around and see the county hustling and bustling with people,” said Phelps when asked for personal highlights from the festival.
“Wrestling seemed to be a big crowd pleaser as well. Kids and adults alike really enjoyed it.”
Even with all of the vendors, entertainment and activities, the energy of this Harvest Fest was amplified most by the spectacular turnout. This year’s festival was one of the most well-attended Harvest Fest celebrations in recent memory.
“We are so thankful to everyone that came out and supported the festival,” said Phelps. “We certainly are thankful for the other agencies who hosted events during the festival that helped offer more things for people to enjoy – such as the 4-H pet show, Warfield Park Community Center hosting the pageant, and the Martin County Public Library bringing the hot air balloon.”
The plan is to make next year’s festival even bigger and better.
“We hope to add more attractions to the event, but to do that, we need more sponsorships,” said Phelps.
Organizers plan to immediately begin reaching out to sponsors for next year.
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