Duvall is having its first Harvest Festival, a celebration of harvest season and the city’s history as a farm town.

The event, presented by the Duvall Historical Society in partnership with the city, will take place at the historic Dougherty Farmstead from 3-7 p.m. Sept. 13. Organizer Lauren Zetting said the festival, amid state fair season, will be like a quaint, small-town fair.

Festivities will include live music by local band The Woots, competitions, carnival games, a vendor market, a beer garden and more.

There will be a rooster crowing contest at 4 p.m., separated by adults and kids. The idea for the contest came from Duvall Historical Society President Country Roney, whose business, Roney River Ranch, is sponsoring the event. At 5 p.m., there will be beginner-friendly, all-ages square dancing, sponsored by Novelty Hill Farm.

Other competitions include “wackiest carrot,” best farm vehicle and various craft competitions. First, second and third place ribbons will be given, with prizes for first and second place.

Competitors must register for all competitions, which can be done through duvallharvestfestival.com.

Zetting said Harvest Festival is a revamp of the past Heritage Festival, an event by the Duvall Historical Society. Similarly to that event, Harvest Festival will emphasize the town’s agricultural roots. Activities include cider pressing and butter churning, and carnival prizes will be things like gardening tools and knitting needles.

“We want it to be a celebration of agriculture, plus the fall fun element,” she said. “[We want] everyone to come out and appreciate that we’re a farm community and see the benefit of it.”

Zetting owns marketing and design company Zetting Local, through which she does a variety of community projects that all began with the 2024 Snoqualmie Valley Holiday Guide.

She was at the helm of the summer-long preparations for Harvest Festival, but mentioned that the city, specifically the Duvall Public Works Department, has been a big help. The department has done a lot of work to prepare the Dougherty Farmstead for the event, from clearing blackberry bushes to taking out fencing, Zetting said.

“We envisioned the land, like what we wanted to do with it, and they’ve just been out there making it happen,” she said. “It’s magical.”

The team also cleared a pasture where the Historical Society planted flowers, squash and pumpkins, in addition to the apple and pear trees the property already had. Festival attendees are encouraged to bring their extra harvest to swap. All leftovers will be donated to local food pantries.

Along with the local sponsors, funding for the event came from individual donations and a grant from King County’s 4Culture arts organization. The event will also be produced entirely by volunteers, aside from the participating vendors, who could either pay a fee or provide a free activity in return for admission.

The Historical Society is hosting the beer garden as a fundraiser and will be selling T-shirts in an effort to recoup some funds, Zetting said, but the goal of the event is simply to show Duvall some love.

“I am hoping that people come out and get an appreciation for where we live and truly appreciate that we get to live in a farm town,” she said. “And that they find more love for the town and for the community and that they want to come be involved.”

This story was updated Sept. 10, 2025, to correct the name of band The Woots.