This content was published: October 4, 2007. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Seventh Harvest Festival set to delight
Photos and story by James Hill
Halloween is just around the corner and so is the Portland Community College Rock Creek Campus’ biggest event.
The seventh annual Harvest Festival will be held just in time for Halloween. It will go from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, on the Rock Creek Campus, 17705 N.W. 
Springville Road. The suggested donation is $5 per family, which includes, as long as the supply lasts, a free pumpkin from the Rock Creek Campus pumpkin patch. In addition, visitors gain free admission to the Washington County Historical Society Museum.
The festival is popular with younger folks and attracts more than 1,000 people every year.
“It just has gotten bigger and bigger each year,” said Mandy Ellertson, student leadership coordinator at the campus and an organizer of the Harvest Festival. “It’s great for students and is a favorite of the community.”
Along with the popular pumpkin patch, the festival will include hay rides, a petting zoo featuring the animals of the PCC Rock Creek farm, face painting, musical entertainment, and participants will have the opportunity to have their picture taken with their pumpkin. There also will be sustainability tours, featuring an earthen oven demonstration and a worm composting workshop.
It all started seven years ago when former campus president Bill Christopher said he wanted a pumpkin patch. The patch would be the focus of a new event leading up to Halloween. Not only would the local community get a chance at a free pumpkin and some fun activities, he said, but would be introduced to all of PCC’s services.
In its humble beginning, the Harvest Festival incorporated activities with the Washington County Historical Museum, Rock Creek Farm, Landscape Technology program; partnerships that continue today. Every year the festival gets better at staying in tune with its surrounding neighborhood. For example, more student leaders are getting involved this year to attract Washington County’s Latino community.
“It’s a true collaboration,” Ellertson said. “There are a variety of people involved. We’re picking up more and more partners, which will make this an exciting year.”
Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon, serving approximately 88,200 full- and part-time students. For more PCC news, please visit us on the Web at www.pcc.edu/news. PCC has three comprehensive campuses, five workforce training and education centers, and 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »