A previous Baraga Avenue Harvest Festival is pictured. The seventh annual Baraga Avenue Harvest Festival will be held from 2 to 7 p.m. Saturday on the 100 block of West Baraga Avenue in Marquette and feature a wide variety of fall-themed activities for all ages, organizers said. (Journal file photo)

MARQUETTE — As the air turns cooler, winds whip up and crisp, brightly colored leaves begin to blanket the ground, it’s clear that autumn has arrived.

To celebrate the fall season, the Marquette Downtown Development Association is holding its seventh annual Baraga Avenue Harvest Festival on Saturday.

The event, presented by Meijer, will be held from 2 to 7 p.m. Saturday along the 100 block of West Baraga Avenue in Marquette.

The festival will be “bustling with harvest-themed activities for all ages,” featuring food and drink from food trucks and local businesses, live music, street dance, children’s activities and much more, organizers said.

“It is a family-friendly event that is low-cost or free for participants, and is a great way to welcome in and enjoy fall,” MDDA Promotions and Events Coordinator Tara Laase-McKinney said in an email.

The Baraga Avenue Harvest Festival aims to offer a little something for everyone, with activities ranging from the “big truck petting zoo” — which invites kids to explore emergency response vehicles, construction trucks and more — to the Paint Baraga Avenue chalk art exhibition and contest featuring street-canvas harvest-themed paintings by local artists, individuals and groups, she said.

The event will also offer sales and information booths from downtown district businesses, she said, noting the event is a great way to feature Baraga Avenue and downtown businesses.

“We particularly like highlighting Baraga Avenue at this event. Baraga Avenue is at the southern end of the Downtown Marquette, but is still an important and lively part of it,” Laase-McKinney said. “There are a wide variety of businesses there; with the growth of areas like Founders Landing, I believe Baraga Avenue will see continued growth and development in the years to come.”

While the event is “rain or shine,” she emphasized: “in the event of severe weather, we may have to cancel. While fall is certainly a beautiful time in the Upper Peninsula, the weather this time of year is particularly unpredictable.”

For more information on the Paint Baraga Avenue contest sponsored by the Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum or to sponsor a square, visit www.upchildrensmuseum.com.

To learn more about the Baraga Avenue Harvest Festival, contact the MDDA at 906-228-9475 or visit downtownmarquette.org.

Cecilia Brown can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248. Her email address is cbrown@miningjournal.net.