By MACKENZEE SIMMS | Staff Writer

 PELHAM – With hay rides, games and more, children devoured candy apples as adults perused vendor stalls at this year’s Harvest Festival on Saturday, Oct. 12 at the Oak Mountain State Park.

According to Anna Jones, the event coordinator at Oak Mountain State Park, the Harvest Festival made its debut in 2014 and became a yearly tradition.

“It is one of our favorite events of the year,” Jones said. “It is really just a day full of fun an adventure for families. It’s very family centered and very community oriented.”

Dozens of vendors displayed their wares, while local community groups and educational centers offered information to any curious minds. Children could enjoy inflatable bounce houses, games, face painting and crafts before the whole family took a tour of the park on the hay ride.

But for Jones, the best part of the day was watching the community have fun in the great outdoors.

“Of course, there is a ton of work leading up to it, but then throughout the day, it’s just hours of us getting to watch families, couples and friend groups come out and enjoy the park together,” Jones said. “Getting to see people enjoying all the hard work that you put in to make this event is absolutely my favorite part.”

The Harvest Festival is one of many events that occur at the park every single year.

“At Oak Mountain State Park, we easily host over 300 events per year,” Jones said. “We constantly have something going on. We are very, very happy that we have so much going on in the park because there really is something fun for everybody all the time.”

According to Jones, the Harvest Festival serves multiple purposes. Not only does it offer guests the opportunity to create fall memories, it also serves to showcase the beauty of Oak Mountain State Park.

Jones hopes that events such as these encourage the community to take advantage of the many offerings at the Oak Mountain State Park.

This is a way to spend time with your friends and family in an outdoor environment, to expose the community and our guests to this natural environment at the park and let them see what we have to offer,” Jones said. “I hope they fall in love with us and start becoming regular park users and start that generational learning and protection of our natural resources.”

With more than 11, 861 acres of land, Oak Mountain State Park is the largest state park in Alabama and offers a wide variety of activities on a day to day basis such as horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking, fishing and golf.

“No matter how you like to recreate in your natural environment, we have something for you,” Jones said. “So come out! Come see us, come explore, come get to know your state park. We are here for you.”

Those interested in learning more about Oak Mountain State park can visit Alapark.com/parks/oak-mountain-state-park.