Harvest Homecoming preparing for 700K people at annual fall festival in New Albany

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- An annual fall festival in southern Indiana is preparing for what could be its biggest crowds ever.

Set up for Harvest Homecoming in New Albany was ongoing throughout Wednesday. There will be around 200 vendors for booth days, which goes from Thursday through Sunday.

Many of the stores around the area are also preparing for the fall festival by ordering extra inventory and making sure employees are available.

IMAGES | Crowds fill New Albany for final day of 2023 Harvest Homecoming

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend Harvest Homecoming over the next four days. There will be plenty of food, from donuts, to chicken and dumplings and more.

"You can just eat your way through the festival," Harvest Homecoming Festival president Doug Jacques said. "All that stuff that is really good to eat that you shouldn't but you have to."

Harvest Homecoming is expected to bring in about $11 million to the local economy this year. Small business owners said they are ready for the festival.

"This year I just opened this brick and mortar store in May so we're going to have a walkway to the store so hopefully people will recognize us," said Rachel Burns, owner of Monhegans. "We would pretty much make half of what we would make the whole year in four days here in our booth."

Attendance is expected to be 700,000 for the four booth days.

Jacques has some advice for vendors.

"Buckle your seatbelt and stock up because there is a lot of people that come through," Jacques said.

Burns said she is ready with plenty of items in stock.

"I hope that I get as much business in here as a booth so I don't know I am kind of nervous," Burns said. "I am excited to see what the store brings cause we have way more items now, way more inventory so I am hoping it is going to be even better."

Along with booth days, there will be movie nights and a balloon glow scheduled on Friday from 5-9 p.m.

Harvest Homecoming events will be happening all week and more information can be found on their website.

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