SoKY’s Choice: 10th Annual Harvest Festival brings thousands to downtown Bowling Green

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WNKY) – Thousands of people gathered in downtown Bowling Green on Saturday for the 10th annual Downtown BGKY Harvest Festival, celebrating fall while supporting local businesses.

The free event featured food trucks, arts and crafts vendors, live music, family activities and the popular pumpkin drop. This year’s festival expanded its footprint along College Street, connecting multiple downtown gathering spots and creating more opportunities for vendors.

Telia Butler, community development coordinator for the City of Bowling Green, said the festival has grown significantly since its beginnings at Circus Square with simple carnival games and candy.

The event later expanded to include SoKY Marketplace (now SoKY Center) and Fountain Square, bringing additional vendors and cultural activities to downtown.

“We love that the community is showing up for local,” Butler said.

Organizers estimated about 25,000 people attended last year and believe this year’s turnout surpassed that number. The city is conducting an economic impact study to better measure attendance and how the festival benefits local businesses.

Butler said the event also provides an opportunity to make downtown more accessible and introduce visitors to businesses and public parking options they may not know about.

The festival’s activities are free to attend, while purchases from food and craft vendors directly support small business owners.

“We think that it shows that people really are craving more community because they showed up for this in droves,” Butler said.

Organizers plan to begin preparations for next year’s festival in January, continuing a tradition that brings families, visitors and local businesses together each fall.