Malad Heritage Square welcoming fall with free harvest festival
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SAMARIA — The Malad Heritage Square will host a season-end celebration this weekend with tons of free fun.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for years,” said Luke Waldron, the owner of the heritage square south of Malad. “We just thought, ‘what a fun way to wrap up the year.'”
Festivities begin at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 7, and wrap up with a concert and bonfire from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8. Admission and access to the numerous activities throughout the event are completely free.
“There are so many people strapped right now,” Waldron said. “We want this to be something people can just come enjoy and not worry about money. This is not about making money, it’s more about building community and creating memories and traditions. That’s what autumn time should be.”
Waldron, who grew up on the farm attached to the heritage square, is happy to share all the seasonal fun he enjoyed as a child — like candle dipping, rope making and corn shelling. There will also be pony rides, hay rides and a pumpkin walk. There will also be wool spinning and blacksmithing demonstrations.
Free entertainment will include a string quartet, a barbershop quartet and a free concert by Intermountain American — a Utah-based band — closing the celebration Saturday night. Friday night’s festivities will conclude with a bonfire, marshmallow roast and movie under the stars featuring the Bette Midler classic “Hocus Pocus.”
The event will also feature more than a dozen food and craft vendors.
While admission and entry into the events — including the concert and movie — will be free, there will be priced competitions that all are welcome to enter.
The square will host a cornhole tournament Saturday. Entry into the tournament is $5 per team, with the winning team taking home all the entry money.
There will also be a pie baking contest Saturday, with the baker of the winning pie receiving $100 and a $50 gift basket from Edith’s Collective in Malad. Slices of the entered pies will then be sold, with the proceeds going to further improvements to the square.
As Waldron explained, this summer saw the installation of lights, the placement of additional picnic benches and the opening of the gift shop. Next up, he added, is a concert stage.
Visit Malad Heritage Square on Facebook — here — for a complete schedule of the event.
The Malad Heritage Square is located at 4566 south 4400 west, near Malad City.