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Bloomfield's Harvest Fest is celebrating its 25th year in Bloomfield on Oct. 7 between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., with a rain date of Oct. 8.

Bloomfield's main thoroughfare, Broad Street, will become home to a host of retail vendors selling a variety of handmade crafts, art, and wares between Bloomfield and Belleville avenues. Both local business owners and artisans from around the state will be coming to sell their gifts, jewelry, collectibles and more. Bloomfield businesses also will open their doors, welcoming visitors to shop and offering autumn-themed items and specials.

This community-wide event is sponsored by the Bloomfield Center Alliance (BCA), the nonprofit organization in charge of Bloomfield’s special improvement district. "The BCA does an incredible job of making the downtown a true community  one we're proud to be a part of,†said Rick Burchfield, director of marketing at Bloomfield College, one of several festival sponsors. Approximately 20,000 people attend the free event every year, which is the township’s biggest festival. Previously a volunteer-driven event that took place over a two-day period, the BCA took on coordinating the popular annual festival in 2008 in order to continue the tradition on behalf of the township, according to Ollyn Lettman, executive director of the BCA. “Events like Harvest Fest are very important to Bloomfield because they help to draw many people,†said John Generazio, a local business leader and one of the volunteers who helped start the festival. “Not only local residents, but also visitors from near and far who have the chance to see our community and experience the many great things happening here  especially in our downtown.†Live music will be performed by six bands over the course of the day, from 11:15 a.m. to 7 p.m. on a stage near the intersection of Liberty and Broad streets. Adults can enjoy the music from the nearby Harvest Beer Garden, which will serve both beer and wine and is being coordinated by Bloomfield Buy Rite Liquors, a local downtown business. Near the live music and Harvest Beer Garden is the food area of the festival, where a multitude of food trucks will be serving delectable treats. One of the food trucks onsite, Mexi-Flip Taco Truck, is owned by a Bloomfield resident and they have been a presence at Harvest Fest for several years. Other food trucks attending will serve classic carnival fare, such as zeppoles and ice cream, Lettman said. In addition to the food trucks, Bloomfield Center restaurants The Tilted Kilt, The Wooden Spoon, Mangia Organica, and Tacos La Gringa will be setting up on the festival route to sell some of their most popular dishes. There will also be separate children’s entertainment section with pony rides, a petting zoo, carnival attractions, a bouncy castle, a climbing wall, and a family obstacle course. Previously spread out over a weekend, this year the Harvest Fest will take place on one day to create more of an opportunity “for the entire community to come together at one place and really enjoy all that the Harvest Fest has to offer  the music, the food, the arts and crafts, and great shopping,†Lettman said. Local businesses and organizations sponsoring Harvest Fest include: Official Sponsor - Brookdale Shop Rite; Supporting Sponsors - Investors Bank and The Shops at Bloomfield Station; On-Site Sponsors - Jack’s Super Foodtown, Bloomfield College, Avalon at Bloomfield Station, Provident Bank, Clara Maass Medical Center, and New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Additional support provided by the Township of Bloomfield, The Sign Post, Bloomfield Pulse, Tap Into Bloomfield, and the Star Ledger. “We are honored to be a part of this event that is so integral to serving the needs of this neighborhood alongside such strong partners,†said Monica Lopez, property manager for The Shops at Bloomfield Station. “Harvest Fest provides the opportunity to highlight the attributes that make the Bloomfield community and the Shops at Bloomfield Station so special.†Please visit www.bloomfieldharvest.org for more information. This article was written by Katrina Rossos and originally posted on NJ.com.