Hopewell Harvest Fair – Photos – Hopewell Valley History Project

— The 2023 Harvest Fair has been rescheduled to October 21 —

The 35th Annual Hopewell Harvest Fair is this Saturday, September 23, 2023, from 10 am to 4 pm at the Hopewell Elementary School, 35 Princeton Avenue, Hopewell, NJ.

This volunteer community event has been providing fun and entertainment for Hopewell Valley families and friends since 1987.

Walk the Town Square to meet local business owners and non-profits. Explore local food vendors and farmers showcasing their goods. Experience entertainment under the big tent. And enjoy favorite family activities including hay rides, pony rides, a petting zoo, children’s games, face-painting, and a straw maze.

== View the full Harvest Fair album in the Image Gallery ==

Please contact us if you have photos, videos, other materials from the Hopewell Harvest Fair and earlier Community Day that we could share.

We are missing the 2003 Harvest Fair Almanac – Does anyone have a copy?

Does anyone have 1980’s Community Day information or pamphlets (we have 1981 and 1983)?

Harvest Fair Photos

The Hopewell Harvest Fair was started in 1987, originally sponsored by the Hopewell Business Association. It was held in the area around Princeton Bank (now PNC Bank) at 62 East Broad Street. In 1989 it moved to its current location at the Hopewell Elementary School (except for 1996, when it was held along West Broad Street).

The earlier Hopewell Community Day event was held in the 1980s, and was sponsored by the Hopewell Business Associates. It also was held in the area around PNC Bank.

We have a growing collection of Harvest Fair images, including the Wooden Car Derby event. The first two photos below are from the 1981 Community Day, showing the bake sale and fire competition. The second two photos are from the 1990 Harvest Fair, showing a big bunny enjoying the games and Henry Muentener at the tractor ride. The third pair are from the 2000s, with Harvest Fair competition ribbons and the familiar information booth.

== View the full Harvest Fair album in the Image Gallery ==

Wooden Car Derby Photos

The Wooden Car Derby was held from 1983 to 2006, as part of Hopewell Community Day and then as part of the successor Hopewell Harvest Fair.

The cars were made from the Boy Scout Pinewood Derby Kit, which still allowed for colorful and inventive designs. The wooden cars were 7 inches long, could weigh a maximum of five ounces, and were powered only by gravity.

Prizes were awarded for the fastest, slowest, and best looking cars. There were four racing classes: cars made by children alone, by child-adult teams, and by anyone over the age of 12 years, plus an advanced class for “perfectionist” car builders.

The first two photos below show the Wooden Car Derby event at the 1983 Community Day, held in the drive-in lane behind the now PNC Bank building. The second two photos show the event at the 1991 Community Day, held in the Elementary School building.

== View the full Wooden Car Derby album in the Image Gallery ==

Harvest Fair and Community Day Almanacs

We have an almost complete collection of Harvest Fair Almanacs from 1987 to 2022, plus a couple pamphlets from the earlier Community Day in the 1980s.

The fun and varied covers often featured designs by local artists.

Explore these in the Pamphlets Collection. All the documents are digitized and searchable – with 36 pamphlets and over 1100 scanned pages.

== View the Harvest Fair & Community Day Almanacs in the Pamphlet Collection ==

We are missing the 2003 Harvest Fair Almanac – Does anyone have a copy?

Does anyone have 1980’s Community Day information or pamphlets (we have 1981 and 1983)?

Please contact us if you have additional Harvest Fair / Community Day photos, videos, pamphlets, or other materials that we could share.

Hopewell Harvest Fair – Photos

Harvest Fair Photos

Wooden Car Derby Photos

Harvest Fair and Community Day Almanacs

More on the Hopewell Harvest Fair

More on Town Events

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