The annual Harvest Festival is coming up on Saturday and Sunday, August 24-25, 2013, atWildlife West Nature Park, in Edgewood. It’s a time to celebrate the area's culture, traditions and agricultural heritage. Visitors will experience the rich history of the pinto bean farming in the Pinto Bean Museum, which displays antique bean processing equipment, farming artifacts and historic local photos. The Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Foundation provided funding for the museum and the collection of farming equipment.

The Festival opens on Saturday morning with a tractor parade beginning at 9 a.m. at Wildlife West, traveling west along historic Route 66 and ending at the Tractor Supply Company. The tractor games will be held on Sunday this year, beginning at 2 p.m. on the field in front of the historic Pinto Bean Barn.

Visitors can stroll through the park and have fun experiencing an old west atmosphere. They can explore a replica of the western town of Venus (original name of Edgewood), and see blacksmith demonstrations, antique cars and trucks, old iron tractors and machinery, and historic ranch equipment. Then take an old-fashioned hayride around the park. There will be games for children, folk music by Jimbo, opportunity to experience wildlife up close, and artists and vendors.

Other activities include snake and reptile identification presentations by the New Mexico Herpetological Society, and behind the scenes tours of black bear and Mexican wolves. Also, Mark Chavez, renowned chainsaw artists, will demonstrate his artistic chainsaw techniques.

Anasazi Fields Winery will be on hand on Saturday for wine tasting. Throughout the weekend, the Knights of Columbus volunteers will serve up pinto beans, fresh sweet corn, and hamburgers and hot dogs.

Don’t miss the Chuckwagon Dinner Show on Saturday, 6 - 9 p.m. Come early for the activities during the day and stay for the evening free-flight peregrine falcon show, pie auction, barbeque dinner and Holy Water & Whiskey western-swing music concert. Reservations for the dinner show are required by 2 p.m. on the day of the show. Chuckwagon tickets are $25 for adults, $23 for seniors, $12 for children 5-11, and kids under 5 are free.

All activities throughout the weekend, except for the Chuckwagon dinner show, are included with regular admission to the park: $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, $4 students and children under 5 are free. Music performances are presented in a covered all-weather amphitheater. Plus free dry camping and parking.

Wildlife West is located just 25 minutes east of Albuquerque, off Interstate-40 and legendary Route 66 in Edgewood. For more information at visit www.wildlifewest.org or call 505-281-7655 or toll-free 1-877-981-WILD (9453).

Harvest Festival:

When: Saturday & Sunday, August 24 & 25, 2013
Where: Wildlife West Nature Park, 87 North Frontage Road, Edgewood, NM
What:
Saturday 8/24
9 a.m. Tractor Parade
10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Wildlife tours, snake & reptile identification presentations, games for kids, tractor & machinery displays, blacksmith demonstrations, food and wine tasting
11 a.m. 2 p.m. Folk artist Jimbo
6 p.m. Free-flight peregrine falcon show
7 p.m. Chuckwagon dinner (must RSVP by 2 pm day of show)
8 p.m. Holy Water & Whiskey western music
Sunday 8/25
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Wildlife tours, snake identification presentations, games for kids, tractor & machinery displays, blacksmith demonstrations, & food vendors
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Folk artist Jimbo
2 p.m. Tractor games