Celebrating the Valley’s Bounty by Going Home – Brian’s Blog [VIDEO]

Community celebrations are one of the things that make our valley truly an All-American place to live. I got to attend one that is dear to my heart over the weekend.

On Saturday, my family and I attended the 66th annual Harrah Fall Festival. It's held on the second Saturday in September every year to celebrate the agricultural bounty and the harvest of the Yakima Valley. The festival started as the Harrah Sugar Beet Festival, as the area was one of the prime sugar beet growing regions in the state. After sugar beets disappeared as the area's main crop, organizers decided to keep the event going to recognize all of the crop and livestock producers, and the festival is still going strong.

Things start with a parade on Harrah's main street, and then activities take place in the town park. Royalty is crowned, there's a baked goods auction, entertainment and more.

I was raised in the Harrah-White Swan area, and grew up attending the festivities in Harrah. I make it a point to take my kids every year to see where their dad grew up, and enjoy the ambience. I almost always run into someone I went to school with, or grew up with.

To me it's going home.

Here are some of the sights and sounds from this year's Harrah Fall Festival.