Leaves are changing color and falling off the trees. Frost covers your car in the morning. The sun goes down earlier by the day. The air has a crisp bite to it at night. Everywhere you turn, the signs are right in your face – it’s fall in New England. Which, of course, means it’s just about time for the Warner Fall Foliage Festival.
The celebration of the most colorful season will once again take over the center of Warner for three days starting this Friday. Now entering its 72nd year, the festival features all kinds of attractions including a full lineup of open-air concerts, two parades, a 5K road race, kids’ fun run and dance party, oxen and woodsmen’s contests, fresh lobster and chicken BBQ, amusement rides, street performers and a host of artisans, a farmer’s market, and food vendors.
This three-day festival really packs a punch. While festivities don’t get going until 6 p.m. Friday, activities begin at 7 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday and run all through the night (except on Sunday, when the festival wraps up a little after 5:15 p.m.). There will be attractions and activities galore, but many people come just to poke around all the different vendors and crafters.
“The quality of vendors at the Warner Fall Foliage Festival is one of the biggest reasons people continue to flock to Warner each year,” John Whalen, a board member of the festival, told the Monitor last year.
Another big element to the festival is the live entertainment. The MainStreet Warner Stage will host various performances including music, dances and demonstrations. One of the marquee performers this year is Evelyn Cormier, who will go on at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Cormier, a young singer/songwriter from New England, made it to the top 14 in season 17 of American Idol and drew the praise of Katy Perry, with the pop star saying Cormier had “literally the most favorite voice I have ever heard in my life.” That’s pretty high praise coming from a super-famous, multimillionaire, award-winning recording artist.
Aside from the music and dance routines that will be performed throughout the weekend, there will be lots of physical activities to take part in or watch. Oxen and woodsman competitions are very popular, and there are several different options for each of these activities.
For the youth oxen pull events, there is a Cart Class and a Log Scoot Class. For the adult oxen pull events, there are classes for 1,600 pounds, 2,000 pounds, 2,400 pounds, 2,800 pounds, 3,200 pounds and free for all.
The Woodsmen’s Competition has quite a few events, including disc cutting, two-man crosscut, two-woman crosscut, bow saw, ax throw, chainsaw and more. No matter which event you check out, you’re likely to see a whole lot of sawdust flying all over the place – and probably a lot of sweat, too.
While those events may be geared toward the big and burly, there are plenty of things that are aimed at children and folks who aren’t highly skilled at chainsaw wielding.
On Saturday at 1 p.m. there will be a children’s parade. Sunday at 9:30 a.m. will be the Kids’ 1-mile Fun Run, followed by a dance party from 10 to 11 a.m. Between those kid-specific events, the music, the treats, the rides and games and the shows to take in, there should be more than enough at the Warner Fall Foliage Festival to keep even the pickiest of children happy all weekend long.
For the early birds who just can’t get enough of the festival, a country breakfast will be served at United Church of Warner from 7 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For those who like to hang out late, The DoBros will play from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Shokazoba will take the MainStreet Warner stage from 8 to 10 p.m. on Saturday.
The full schedule of events is as follows:
Friday
- 6-9 p.m.: Midway – $15 All-U-Can-Ride bracelet special
- Evening: Youth oxen competition
- 6:30-7:15 p.m.: Click Horning Band
- 7:30-9:30 p.m.: The DoBros
Saturday
- 7-10:30 a.m.: Country Breakfast at United Church of Warner
- 9 a.m.: 5K Road Race (registration starts at 8 a.m.)
- 9 a.m.-5 p.m.: Crafts & Farmers Market
- 9 a.m.-4 p.m.: Library Book and Bake Sale at Pillsbury Library
- 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m.: Oxen competition
- 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.: Annie & The Natural Wonder Band
- 10 a.m.: Midway/rides open
- 11 a.m.-noon: Aim High Canines
- 11:45 a.m.: Lobster dinner and chicken BBQ opens
- 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Kearsarge Center for Performing Arts Cabaret
- 1 p.m.: Children’s parade
- 1 p.m.-2 p.m.: Akwaaba Ensemble West African drumming and dance
- 2 p.m.-4 p.m.: KCPA performance
- 2 p.m.-3 p.m.: Aim High Canines
- 3 p.m.-4 p.m.: Evelyn Cormier
- 4:15 p.m.-5 p.m.: Sam Robbins
- 4 p.m.-8 p.m.: Midway/rides – $18 All-U-Can-Ride bracelet special
- 5:15 p.m.-6 p.m.: Jake Davis and The Whiskey Stones
- 8 p.m.-10 p.m.: Shokazoba
Sunday
- 7 a.m.-10:30 a.m.: Country Breakfast at United Church of Warner
- 9 a.m.-5 p.m.: Crafts & Farmers Market
- 9 a.m.-4 p.m.: Library Book and Bake Sale at Pillsbury Library
- 9:30 a.m.: Kids’ 1-Mile Fun Run (registration opens at 9 a.m.)
- 10 a.m.-11 a.m.: Kids’ Fun Run Dance Party
- 11 a.m.-noon: Granite State Cloggers
- 11 a.m.-5 p.m.: Woodsmen’s Competition
- 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Studio 2, The Beatles tribute
- 11:45 a.m.: Lobster dinner and chicken BBQ opens
- 12:15 p.m.: Ice Cream Eating Contest
- 1 p.m.-2 p.m.: The Grand Parade
- 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m.: East Bay Jazz Ensemble
- 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.: Granite State Cloggers
- 2 p.m.-6 p.m.: Midway/rides – $18 All-U-Can-Ride bracelet special
- 4 p.m.: Raffle drawing
- 4 p.m.-5:15 p.m.: Planet B
(Find this schedule plus more details about the festival at wfff.org.)
October 8, 2019
Thanks Jon Bodell and Concord Insider Team for capturing the essence of our annual festival in words and pictures. We appreciate being featured on the front page and the great content inside.