Live entertainment, hay rides, beer and wine tastings and Halloween festivities were the order of the day for attendees of the annual Highland Day festival.

The festival, held Oct. 4 at the crossroads of routes 108 and 216 in Highland, brought out the best of small town living -- neighbors coming together to celebrate their community, and the coming fall season.

Children, many dressed in Halloween costumes for the costume parade, made their way through the Kid's Zone. The special area, set up specifically for children, featured games and prizes, pumpkin decorating and a special story by Urban Pirates, of Baltimore.

According to the Greater Highland Crossroads Association, the Highland Day festival can be traced back to the early 1900s, when Patuxent Grange 311 hosted harvest festivals. In the 1970s, the community came together in the spring to hold a festival, celebrating the anniversary of Highland's founding.

These days, the festival is now held in the fall and has been planned by the association for the third year running.

This year, local merchants set up booths inviting attendees to take a look at their wares, and perhaps make a purchase. Highland businesses, including Jim Pope Insurance, Smeeta's Pharmacy, Highland Feed & Seed, Highland Groomery and Highland Wine & Spirits, opened the doors of their various shops and invited community members and visitors in to take a look at what shopping options are available at the crossroads. They were joined by many other merchants, including Pong's Orchard, Dogtopia, P.U.P.S. Dog Obedience, Sandy Spring Bank, Pump It Up and Tai Sophia.

But the day wasn't just about shopping. Boarman's Market provided traditional festival food, including snow cones, pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs and hamburgers. There was a hay ride down a neighborhood street for families. Community organizations, including Howard County Beekeepers, Neighbor Ride and the Howard County Cat Club had booths. The Mt. Hebron Band joined in the costume parade, and the Clarksville Fire Department had an engine on display for curious kids.

All in all, it was the kind of community festival that displayed the best of Highland and the best of community togetherness.

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