Downtown Hughson invites everyone in the community for entertainment, food, and fun for the 4th Annual Hughson Harvest Festival on Sept. 20 and 21. The festival will provide information and educational opportunities, as well as fun activities, throughout the weekend to highlight the strong community values that are inherent to the Hughson area.

"Hughson is a small community with a big heart," said Chamber Board member and festival chairman Marie Assali. "This event will bring the community together and showcase our town."

The festival will feature more than 100 vendors, as well as fresh produce and freshly-prepared dining options. There will also be arts and craft options and commercial booths in attendance, with free, locally grown items courtesy of the Taste of Central Valley Agriculture booth

Saturday will kick off with the Walk 4 Love event at 9 a.m., followed by an opening ceremony with a performance from Hughson High School Jazz Band at 10 a.m. The first day will also host a chili cook-off, a classic car show, and a Step It Up dance performance.

On Sunday, there will be a Hughson United Soccer Pancake Breakfast at the community center at 7 a.m. and a reptile show from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. In addition, Shelley Streeter and Joni Morris & Company will perform at Main Stage at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.

Kids have also been considered for the festival with the inclusion of activities, such as pony rides, a kiddie-tractor pull, a make-your-own-ice-cream booth, and a petting zoo.

"It really brings people to our downtown and showcases our businesses and helps different nonprofits raise money," said Assali. "I'm just excited about the festival as a whole because it touches so many different lives and raises money for our town."

The Hughson Harvest Festival, previously called the Hughson Fruit and Nut Festival, was established in 1988 to raise money for the town's community center. After running for about 20 years, the chamber and the festival dissolved.

The community brought the festival back with the same underlying goal to raise money for the community about four years ago. Next year, the festival will be once again called the Hughson Fruit and Nut Festival, as per request of community members.

"It's been wonderful since we brought it back," said Assali. "It's just growing every year as a festival that really promotes agriculture."

The two-day family friendly event is expected to attract more than 12,000 people. For more information, visit hughsonchamber.org.