McMinnville Autumn Street Fair returns to the historic downtown area Saturday, featuring some 250 vendors and a full day of live entertainment.
Chamber of Commerce Events Coordinator Jackie Borowiak said the 31st annual festival now spans five blocks from the local library to Sparta Street. Borowiak said the event has reached its maximum capacity for booths within the current downtown footprint.
“Right now, we’re just kind of out of space,” Borowiak said. “We’ve got about as many booths as can fit into this space, but we have in the last probably four years, added this second food court, and it’s always kind of evolving just to get bigger and better.”
Borowiak said the festival expects to draw between 12,000 and 15,000 visitors to the downtown area. The vendor lineup includes seasonal decor, wreaths, paintings, and various art pieces alongside several bakeries.
“Our brick-and-mortar downtown businesses always say that it’s great for them, that it’s not a competition, but because so many people are in town that they visit their stores as well,” Borowiak said. “So a lot of our businesses say they have some of their very best days during Autumn Street Fair.”
Borowiak said the festival has relocated its food court to a larger space this year to accommodate additional food trucks. A dedicated kid zone will also be available featuring bounce houses.
“We have moved the food court from its original location to a bigger space, so we’ve got a few more food trucks this year,” Borowiak said. “We’ve got a big lineup of entertainment on the stage all day long.”
Borowiak said the event has grown significantly from its original smaller location further up the street. The fair is held annually on the first Saturday of October.
“It brings a lot of people to town, even out-of-towners,” Borowiak said. “It’s great for them as well.”
The festival runs from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM with free parking available at the Farmers Market area off Colville Street and additional spots on Morford Street.