As the sun shone brightly on Saturday, the first-ever Niagara-on-the-Lake Harvest Festival provided the perfect backdrop for Jan Bauer and her daughter Jenny Karn to celebrate their milestone birthdays with family and fun.

“We got together with my cousin last night, and we were talking about our itinerary for today. The first thing she said was that we had to come and see the market. So, we did that,” said Bauer. “My daughter just turned 40, and I’m turning 70.” 

Bauer’s cousin, Sharry Flett, is part of the Shaw Festival, which brought Jan and her daughter to NOTL to see her performance in “My Fair Lady.”

“We’ve been down several times to see her performances. We just love the area. All the shops are beautiful, and it being fall just makes it that much prettier,” she said.

“I told my daughters, we’ve never done this before — just a ladies’ weekend,” said Bauer. “So, we said, what do we want to do? We looked at different ideas, and decided on Niagara-on-the-Lake.”

Hosted by the NOTL Chamber of Commerce and Anchor Niagara, the festival transformed the Market Square parking lot into a lively gathering from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 26.

As the music from Niagara performer Cory Cruise filled the air, locals and visitors celebrated the season together. 

They browsed a variety of local boutiques, listened to the live music, participated in children’s crafts like face painting, and sampled and purchased offerings from local vendors, including artisanal cheeses, handmade jewelry and seasonal treats.

Vendor Jamie-Lynn Jones said she was delighted to participate in the festival. 

“After the Peach Festival, I reached out to see if there would be something for the fall,” she said. 

When she learned about the Harvest Festival, she was eager to connect with the community and showcase her store, she said. Some discovered her boutique for the first time that day, and some were returning customers.

“We’ve had a lot of people that have come by — and when I asked them if they’ve been in the store before — they have,” said Jones. “One local was wearing one of our sweaters that she got a couple of years ago. She said she’s just got to get a new one.” 

“I found out about the Harvest Festival in the news,” said Sarah Kaufman, who attended the festival with her three children —Audrey, Isabel, and Maddie. “We love fall things to do in the community, so I brought the kids to check it out.”

Kaufman said she was thrilled with her purchase of a stylish scarf from Must Boutique. 

“I didn’t know about the boutique before, and it’s really nice to see them out here. Now, I’ll know that their store is on Queen Street, and I can check it out,” she said. 

As the day drew to a close, Kaufman said they left with a deeper appreciation for their community and its local treasures.

“I think any event that brings different businesses together and highlights the harvest season and the agricultural community is a great opportunity to bring different communities and people together.”

The kids were having fun listening to the music and dancing, eagerly anticipating the face-painting booth, she said. 

The best part? It was free, making it perfect for families, she said.