The Town of Benson hosted its annual Healthy Harvest festival and 5K on Saturday. The event has quickly become a staple in the town’s roster of seasonal celebrations.
This year saw the debut of a brand new Healthy Harvest logo, the introduction of a delicious sweet potato smoothie courtesy of the NC Sweet Potato Commission, plenty of shiny chrome and big engines thanks to Full Throttle Car Club, and more than 120 runners participating in the 5K through Benson’s downtown and historic district.
“We’re so pleased with the turnout,” said Town Manager Matt Zapp on Saturday. “It’s nice to see so many runners and so many people in the Singing Grove.”
The town’s Singing Grove was indeed bustling with vendors and kids’ activities. The Sweet Potato Commission was handing out smoothie samples to everyone, local vendors were selling their wares and the town’s billing and utilities department was giving away free home energy kits – containing an LED light bulb and other energy-saving items – to attendees.
Temperatures were perfect throughout the event with a crisp morning air for the 5K transforming into a moderate fall afternoon in the Singing Grove for the car show and cupcake walk — despite a small bit of rain just as the festival was nearing its end around 2pm.
“Healthy Harvest is something a lot of people look forward to this time of year,” said Benson Parks and Recreation Director Matt Smith. “We’re happy to see people enjoying Benson and we think the festival has gotten better each year — 2017 is no exception!”
