The Denair Farm and Family Festival is back for its 13th year on Sept. 9, and it’s bigger than ever before.

“I'm more excited this year than I have been in years past because we have a lot of exciting stuff coming,” said event chairman James Shehan. “We have 138 vendors, the most we’ve ever had, and we have a lot more food vendors this year. And the bounce houses this year are huge.”

Shehan explained that there had been significant space in between vendors in past years, and that they had to turn several vendors away. To solve the problem, they pushed the vendors closer, opening space for the record number of new participants.

Like the number of vendors, the festival’s parade of farm equipment has reach up to 20 entries, including a unique piece of farming history.

“We have a group coming from the Bay Area called Kinetic Steam Works bringing their antique steam tractor to actually ride in the parade. Afterwards, it'll be on display at the community center parking lot in the farm area for everybody to get up close and personal with,” Shehan shared.

Also joining the parade this year are contestants from the first ever Little Miss Denair pageant that took place earlier this month.

The kids can also participate in the festival’s first scarecrow design contest. The contest is free to participate, with registration taking place at www.denairfestival.com.

“We have a lot more sponsors this year, so that helps to promote and get more stuff that we’ve never had before,” Shehan said. “It’s something different. It’s something that gets people to interact with one another. We just try to introduce different items like that each year.”

The Denair Gaslight Theatre will join the fun throughout the day, putting on a pair of their most recent shows for the visitors to enjoy.

The 2023 Denair Farm and Family Festival take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 9 in downtown Denair. After the festival, the fire department will be barbecuing for anybody still hanging around.

“We're helping promote everything in this town,” Shehan said. “We're trying to get word out that Denair is here and we've got a lot to offer to people.”

Vendors are currently being highlighted through the festivals’ official social media accounts, which is @DenairFestival on both Facebook and Instagram. More information on the 2023 Denair Farm and Family Festival can be found at www.denairfestival.com.