FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 13, 2022
MILTON – Conservation Halton is hosting its annual outdoor fall festival, Hops and Harvest at Area 8, Conservation Halton’s newest park, on September 23, 24, and 25. The festival, which welcomed over 6000 visitors last year, features local food, craft beverages, market vendors, live music, and a wide range of activities for all ages.
Hops and Harvest has quickly become a favourite fall tradition in the Milton area since it started in 2018. The festival celebrates fall with family-friendly fun in the beauty of nature. This year, the festival is moving locations to the newly restored Area 8. The former quarry took over 20 years to rehabilitate and is becoming a popular public event venue at Conservation Halton for the unique landscape and accessibility factors. Visitors are sure to enjoy the beautiful quarry lake, rugged views of the escarpment, and changing fall colours.
In addition to the new location, Hops & Harvest is also offering some new activities for visitors of all ages. Included with admission, festival goers can hike the trails, play various lawn games, take pictures at photo booth stations, visit with farm animals and raptors, hang out by campfires, watch wood branding demonstrations, and enjoy honey and maple syrup samples. Live music is scheduled all weekend and features local artists with a range of styles from country, folk, pop, to Indigenous singers. Some of the featured artists include The Wanted, Lindsay Brohan and fan favourite, Practically Hip. For an additional fee, guests can rent a canoe or kayak and paddle out on the turquoise waters of the quarry lake, try hatchet throwing or test their bowman skills at archery.
Another highlight of the event is the extensive marketplace. Over the course of the weekend, Hops & Harvest will welcome almost 70 food, drink, craft and market vendors to the grounds—one of the largest rosters to date. A popular attraction of the marketplace and the festival itself, is the selection of local craft breweries and cideries. This year, the festival is pleased to offer both sample size and full-sized drinks, combining pre and post pandemic styles of the event.
As Conservation Halton is the host, there is an environmental lens applied to the event. Halton Environmental Network will be onsite managing and educating guests on personal waste habits. Vendors are encouraged to use recyclable or compostable materials, and single-use plastics are discouraged. Much of the décor for the event was sourced using sustainable supplies where possible including the use of upcycled materials.
Tickets can be purchased online through the event website www.hopsandharvest.ca. Hops & Harvest will take place from 2pm on Vendredi, September 23 to 5pm on Dimanche, September 25, 2022.
Conservation Halton is the community based environmental agency that protects, restores, and manages the natural resources in its watershed. The organization has staff that includes ecologists, land use planners, engineers, foresters and educators, along with a network of volunteers, who are guided by a Board of Directors comprised of municipally elected and appointed citizens. Conservation Halton is recognized for its stewardship of creeks, forests and Niagara Escarpment lands through science-based programs and services. Learn more at conservationhalton.ca.