New Albany prepares for beloved festival

By TARA HETTINGER
Tara.Hettinger@newsandtribune.com

October 09, 2008 09:51 am

— As people busily worked setting up booths, moving in and out of New Albany’s downtown streets like a well choreographed dance, 75-year-old Mary Jane Morgan stood at the corner of Market and Pearl streets, leaning against a stack of folding tables, and watched.
Since Harvest Homecoming started, Morgan has come with her friends to see the booths set up for the annual festival.
“We like to see who’s down here, who’s new, old faces and new faces,” she said, not taking her eyes off the street, which was becoming more filled with booths as the night went on.
This is when she decides her game plan for the extended weekend, including where to eat and shop for each day of the festival.
She and her friends sit at one of those folding tables at that exact corner where she stood each day of Harvest Homecoming, each year.
“They call it the liars’ table,” she said, laughing.
Her friend, Janice Burton, joined her Wednesday night.
“It’s just interesting to watch,” the 69-year-old said.
The duo said in all the years they have watched the set-up, this year was by far the most organized.
Booth workers and volunteers seemed to agree.
“Last year and this year were the easiest years,” said Marla Kelley, president of the Floyd County Humane Society, who has worked a booth at the festival for 15 years. “They’ve gotten so much more organized.”
“It’s going a lot smoother than anticipated,” Brad Needham, volunteer booth marshal, said, smiling as he looked at the evening’s progress. “At Pearl and Spring [streets], it’s usually blocked up to Terra Haute.”
“There are tricks to it,” said Patty Fischer, vice president of the festival’s booths, referring to getting all 352 booths in and ready quickly.
She said over the years, she has learned to let the larger booths set up first, since the trucks can be hard to maneuver once less space is available.
Wednesday night, she said it was just a matter of making sure everything goes as planned.
“It works really well for us. People know the routine,” said Sam Heavrin, who volunteers to help with the traffic. “We almost get run over a few times though.”
As people set up, a few ran into a few problems.
Kelley recruited family, her husband and their daughter, to help set up the booth, since other volunteers weren’t there at the beginning.
However, one street over, four volunteers for another booth sat, waiting.
“We’ve got the volunteers and no booth,” said Jan Neely, member of Altrusa International, a service organization that promotes literacy and more.
While they waited, Needham patrolled the street, making sure each booth was in its correct spot and was set up with electric.
“It’s hard work and the pay is none, but it’s still a lot of fun,” he said.
Fischer said the festival seems to bring out the best in everyone, adding that people are constantly eager to see what they can do to help.
“It’s amazing. It’s absolutely amazing,” she said. “It’s kind of like Christmas in New Albany. It’s a really nice coming together of the community.”

BOOTH TIMES
• Thursday, noon to 9 p.m.; Friday, noon to 9 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 9 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

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