2023 Maple City Fall Festival shaping up as biggest yet. What to know about Oct. 14 event

Neal Simon, Hornell Evening Tribune
·4 min read

The Hornell Partners for Growth fourth Maple City Fall Festival is shaping up as its biggest and best yet.

From noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14, downtown Hornell will be packed with more than 80 craft and food vendors — nearly double the number at previous festivals — free games and activities for children (look for the bounce houses) and families, live music, train rides, horse-drawn wagon rides and even the Speed Sketchers Caricatures.

After being one of the first fall festivals out of the gate in 2022 with the event held in mid-September, HPG went in another direction this year by scheduling Hornell's annual autumn bash nearly a month later.

Valorie Whitehill, Business Improvement District manager with HPG, thinks the change has paid off with more vendors poised to participate in 2023 and excitement rising.

“We pushed it out to move it away from all the other big festivals. Cohocton, Naples, all the big ones," Whitehill said. "I think that is the biggest difference. That we did move it out to the middle of October. We are one of the last big festivals for the fall now.”

A cornucopia of fall produce adds a touch of autumn to Hornell’s Maple City Fall Festival.
A cornucopia of fall produce adds a touch of autumn to Hornell’s Maple City Fall Festival.

Food choices expand for 2023 Maple City Fall Festival

Visitors to the festival seeking a bite to eat should not leave hungry.

Past favorites like funnel cakes, deep-fried Oreos, cotton candy, popcorn, snow cones and candy apples will be back, along with tempting Cajun burgers, sausages and blooming onions.

Hammondsport's own Buckn Good Food Truck will be there with "Tater Tot Creations."

Beef on weck from Red Osier will be a new food offering. The Red Osier food truck will also have macaroni salad and Cheesy Eddies cheesecake.

Speaking of sweets, multiple local bakeries are signed on to participate and those with a thirst for seasonal drinks are invited to stop by the Lain's Cider Mill booth.

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HPG also notes Hornell's downtown restaurants will be open. Festival-goers are invited to pick up lunch or dinner at any local eatery and then relax in the open seating area under the tents and enjoy their food and music.

The Faithless Beauties, a Buffalo-based Americana band, will perform Oct. 14 at the Maple City Fall Festival in Hornell.
The Faithless Beauties, a Buffalo-based Americana band, will perform Oct. 14 at the Maple City Fall Festival in Hornell.

Festival music features Faithless Beauties, Black Robin Band

The Buffalo-based Faithless Beauties, with a sound encompassing Americana, acoustic and electric, are slated to perform from noon to 2 p.m.

Background Music from Sound Guy will set the atmosphere from 2 until 3 p.m., leading up to the Finger Lakes area Black Robin Band. They will take the stage at 3 p.m. for a performance that is scheduled to conclude at 6 p.m.

The Black Robin Band traces its influences to the rock, pop and blues bands of the last 60 years. With three solid vocalists and soaring guitar riffs, this new power trio covers hit songs ranging from the1950s to present day.

An expert makes a toss at the 2019 Fall Festival in the City of Hornell. The Maple City Fall Festival returns Oct. 14, 2023
An expert makes a toss at the 2019 Fall Festival in the City of Hornell. The Maple City Fall Festival returns Oct. 14, 2023

Convenient park and ride available for the festival

HPG and Hornell Area Transit have taken away any festival parking worries.

HAT will have two buses running every 15 minutes from the Hornell High School back parking lot and the old St. James Hospital on Canisteo Street.

Festival-goers will be dropped off at the Center Street pavilion near the YMCA building.

Headed downtown? Wave down any bus at any time on the following streets: Sawyer, Maple, Washington, Pearl, Adsit, Park Drive, Canisteo, Seneca, East Main, River, Maple City Drive, Loder, Center and Collier.

With it being Family Weekend at Alfred State College Oct. 13-14, an additional bus route will be up and running hourly from the book drop at South Main and West University streets in Alfred to the Burger King parking lot in Hornell.

Brendan Mitchell takes aim at the 2019 Hornell Fall Festival.
Brendan Mitchell takes aim at the 2019 Hornell Fall Festival.

Festival will go on no matter the weather

There is no rescheduling date for the Maple City Fall Festival, which means the event will go on, rain or shine.

Whitehill noted the festival is a great opportunity for high school seniors to get some of the community volunteer hours needed for graduation. Whitehill said Canisteo Valley youth have been instrumental over the years in helping HPG produce successful events.

High school students play "a huge role," Whitehill said, noting in talks with students in the past she has emphasized, “If it wasn’t for you guys, we would not be doing these.”

Hornell High School students looking to volunteer at the Maple City Fall Festival are encouraged to email hornellpartners@gmail.com and leave your name and phone number, or text 607-324-9786.

Follow Neal Simon on Twitter @HornellTribNeal. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Maple City Fall Festival returns, grows in 2023: What to know