Harvest Festival

Visitors to the 2026 Harvest Festival were asked to bring one thing with them: a non-perishable food item for the food collection tent. “It’s not a harvest for many in our community,” the City of Kirkland’s event page said. The festival ran from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 3, 2026, on the north side of Juanita Beach Park at 9703 NE Juanita Drive. Admission was free. Kirkland Parks and Community Services ran it, as it has run every edition.

Pie, corn, and cornhole on the north side

Food came from the Rustic Bites Round-up of food trucks and from artisan food and craft vendor booths. The contests were pie eating and corn shucking. On the tennis courts, a single-elimination cornhole tournament took up to eight teams. They signed up on site from 10:30 a.m. and played for a prize at no cost. In the parks department’s words, “Bags start flying at 11:45AM.” Elsewhere on the grounds, an apple voting station ran Kirkland’s Great Apple Showdown, asking passersby to pick a favorite among Honeycrisp, Gala, and Fuji.

Children went to the Kids’ Korral for ring toss, horseshoes, pumpkin bowling, crafts, and pony rides. The entertainment stage, sponsored by Ziply Fiber, opened at 11:30 a.m. with 24 Madison. The Silverbacks followed at 1:45, and School of Rock Bellevue closed the day at 3:00.

“The Harvest Festival has become a favorite fall tradition, bringing families, friends, and neighbors together for a fun day at Juanita Beach Park,” said Councilmember Jon Pascal before the 2026 festival.

Getting to Juanita Beach

The city warned that on-site parking was limited and urged people to walk, bike, ride the bus, or take a rideshare. Cyclists could leave their bikes at a free valet. A city shuttle ran from the North Kirkland Community Center at 12421 103rd Avenue NE, though the sources give different schedules. The city’s events page and the parks department’s Facebook posts said it left every 30 minutes from 11 a.m., with the last run to the festival at 3:30 p.m. The city’s September 24, 2026 news release said every 15 minutes between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Overflow parking was available at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church on NE 124th Street.

A city-funded beginning in 2021

The 2026 festival was the sixth. The first was announced in an August 26, 2021 city release as the “first annual Kirkland Harvest Festival,” set for Saturday, October 16, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Juanita Beach Park North. That release promised food trucks, music, contests, a Kids Korral full of games and activities, and a juried marketplace of craft and artisan food vendors. The city anticipated 1,000 people.

In her 2023 State of the City address, Mayor Penny Sweet placed the festival among events the City Council had paid for. “We are prepared to provide a parks system where everyone belongs and wants to be,” she said. “The Council funded new events like the Harvest Festival, The Taste of Kirkland and El Día De Los Muertos and a fabulous holiday celebration for Winterfest at Juanita Beach Park.”

Gwendolyn the Cow

The fifth festival was held Saturday, October 4, 2025, on the same ground and with the same 11-to-4 hours. Alongside the food trucks, pie eating, and corn shucking, it had photo booths, apple cider pressing, and a pickleball tournament. “Harvest Festival is one of those special traditions that makes Kirkland feel like home,” said Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold that year. “Whether you’re here for the food trucks, live music, or pumpkin bowling with the kids, it’s a chance to connect with neighbors and make lasting memories.” The Kids’ Korral that fall offered faux cow milking and a special visit from Gwendolyn the Cow.