Get ready to rejoice in the new season.
The South Coast Harvest Festival is returning to Westport for the third year to celebrate fall and all things autumnal.
Launched in 2023 by Westport husband and wife couple Brian Peay and Michelle Sousa Peay, co-owners of local garden design company Metamorphosis Design, the festival is rooted in both seasonality and community.
According to a 2023 Herald News story, the pair competed in the Rhode Island Spring Flower and Garden Show for 25 years — it ended in 2016 after its former owner sold the event’s branding to the Rhode Island Home Show.
Sousa Peay told The Herald News in 2023 that the South Coast Harvest Festival is a blend of that event, and the former Westport Harvest Festival, which ended in 2003.
Nostalgia may have been the initial draw, but with this new festival now in its third year, it’s clearly become its own new local tradition.
Here’s what you need to know about this year’s South Coast Harvest Festival:
Michelle and Brian Sousa Peay’s plot at the Westport Fairgrounds.
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When and where will it be?
The South Coast Harvest Festival will be held at the Westport Fairgrounds, 200 Pine Hill Road, during the last weekend of September.
Festival dates are Friday, Sept. 26; Saturday, Sept. 27; and Sunday, Sept. 28.
The South Coast Harvest Festival was founded in 2023 to “celebrate the beauty, bounty and creativity of the SouthCoast region,” a press release said. “Now in its third year, the festival continues to grow as a must-attend community tradition, highlighting local talent, vendors, seasonal flavors, and family-friendly entertainment.”
Festival hours
On Friday, festival hours will be from noon to 8 p.m. Festival hours on Saturday will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and festival hours on Sunday will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This family-friendly event is expected to welcome thousands of guests over the weekend.
Michelle and Brian Sousa Peay work in their garden at the Westport Fairgrounds.
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Highlights planned for this year’s South Coast Harvest Festival
This year’s South Coast Harvest Festival will feature:
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Professionally-designed garden displays, created by local landscapers and designers, that will be lit up in the evening
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Live music and entertainment
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Drop-in line dancing on Friday for dancers of all skill levels
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More than a dozen craft food trucks and beverage trucks/booths, with candy apples, clam cakes, and everything in between
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An artisan marketplace with nearly 70 vendors
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Professional pumpkin carving by Richard Kaiser, one of the original artists from the Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular at Roger Williams Park Zoo
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A photo booth and fall-themed photo opportunities throughout the fairgrounds
Community partners
The festival also partners with local organizations. Mass Audubon will be selling ducks to support their annual Duck Derby fundraiser to benefit the Coastal Waterbird Program. Other community partners will include: the Westport River Watershed Alliance, Bristol County Agricultural High School, Pieces of Autism, Buttonwood Park Zoo, Gnome Surf, and more.
“Our festival is all about community and celebrating the spirit of the season on the SouthCoast,” Assistant Director of the South Coast Harvest Festival Shannen Viveiros said in the press release.
Admission
The cost is $10 for adults, and $5 for kids age 5 to 12. Kids under 5 get in for free.
To learn more
For more information, as well as a full list of vendors and entertainment, visit southcoastharvestfestival.com.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: 2025 South Coast Harvest Festival at Westport Fairgrounds Sept. 26-28
