Farm Festival committee members include, from left, in front: Sharon Kaminski, Logistics Chair; Anita Crockett, vendor chair; Jennifer Mackey, activities chair. In back are: Roger Britz, parade chair; Mark Mackey, festival chairman, Todd Langworthy, entertainment chair. Not pictured are Jim Thompson, food vendor chair; Katie Reilly, food tent chair; Julie Nelson, Li’l Farmer chair and Doug Nelson, car show chair.

The Fredonia Farm Festival is making its return after one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic but will have a different venue for the first time in years. Due to the construction occurring in Barker Commons in downtown Fredonia, the Farm Festival Board began looking at different locations. Eventually, they landed on the Chautauqua County Fairgrounds.

“Barker Common is being renovated and is closed from June to October,” said Mark Mackey, chairman of the Farm Festival committee. “We looked at a few places, but nothing else could accommodate parking, vendors, and electricity.”

Mackey said one of the places they considered was the SUNY Fredonia campus, but they wouldn’t have had the required electricity.

Mackey said while the committee is not fighting with the village of Fredonia, moving the location of the Farm Festival is not by choice. The committee would have had the Festival in Barker Commons had they been able. The shift in location has caused a lot of planning that would otherwise have been much easier for the Committee.

“We’ve had it for so many years at Barker Common that we have the layout already nailed down,” Mackey said. “We know where spots are and put people back where they are. We had to go and measure everything again. We’ve never had it at the Fairgrounds.”

Mackey said that they have spent time figuring out what vendors can go where, and labeling spots to put each vendor. The Committee wants to ensure that, like normal, their vendors are properly spread out.

“We don’t want to have three earring people next to each other,” Mackey said. “We have to replan everything.”

One of Mackey’s biggest concerns is that the Farm Festival is outside the village of Fredonia but said they will do their best to make it work and are looking forward to some of the advantages that the Fairgrounds offer.

“One advantage will be the parking,” Mackey said. “It’s always tough to park downtown. I don’t like that it’s outside Fredonia, but again we had no choice. We’re going to try and make it the best we can.”

Even though it isn’t in the best circumstances, Mackey is happy that the Festival is happening in any way this year. Currently, he has around 70 vendors signed up, and while their normal number is around 130, Mackey knows it’s still early.

“Usually, a lot of those vendors sign up within a month,” Mackey said. “I can house as many vendors as I can get. We didn’t want to cancel it two years in a row, we felt that had we not had it this year, we would have lost our audience.”

The Fredonia Farm Festival is to occur on Aug. 27, 28, and 29. It starts with a noon Grand Opening, highlighted by Midnight Recovery on the mini stage at noon, Krossbones on the main stage at 3:30, and the Children’s Tractor Pull at 6 p.m. by Floral Hall. Terry Buchwald will be on the main stage from 7-10 p.m.

On Aug. 28, it begins at 9 a.m., with live entertainment all day featuring Furious George Acoustic, Coda, and Joe and Shmoes. The Third Annual Cornhole Tournament will kick off at 1 p.m. by Floral Hall. Kay Barlow will be at the mini stage at 3 p.m., and XOXO Pop Band will be performing at 8 p.m.

Events conclude Aug. 29 with the Farm Festival Expo at 1 p.m., which replaces the parade that is normally held. The Antique Car Show will be held from 12-4, and there will be an encore performance from Barlow at the mini stage. Mo Porter Party Band will close out the weekend from 3-6 p.m.

All of these events are in addition to the daily events, such as the arts and crafts vendors, which will be available 10 a.m. to dusk on Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. More information along with registration forms for all events can be found on the website at festivalsfredoniany.org/fredonia-farm-festival/ or you can email them at fredoniafarmfestival@gmail.com with your questions.