By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The Harvest Festival is returning to the village for its seventh year and will include the zucchini races, live entertainment, upwards of 45 vendors, life-size Candyland, a kids' fun zone and more.

On Sept. 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Main Street will be blocked between East Orvis and Andrews streets to accommodate the event.

New this year will be a zucchini recipe bake-off, with the winners all receiving free airline tickets from Cape Air.

"We're asking people in the community to submit their favorite zucchini recipe," Massena Chamber of Commerce director Kathleen Kelly-Ori said. She added that the Massena Ministerial Association will be the judges. Rules are available at www.massenachamber.org .

She said a crowd favorite are the zucchini races. Participants will take one of the vegetables and make it into a car with wheel and race it down a slope, similar to a pinewood derby.

"That's a lot of fun," Kelly-Ori said.

She said Mark Bogdan CPAs will set up a life-size Candyland game in front of their office that kids can play.

"That's a tradition here," Massena's chamber director said.

A kids' zone will include pony rides, a petting zoo, face painting, balloon animals and a bounce house.

Local restaurants around town that are chamber members will partake in a food contest. Patrons can order a specified menu item and then vote on their favorite. Some are submitting a regular item and some are creating something specifically for Harvest Week.

"It's people's choice," Kelly-Ori said.

There will be two stages set up, one will include line dancing and mixed martial arts demonstrations. The other will feature artisans, a poet and local actors and crew that are shooting a film called "The Ballad of Billy Badass" entirely in Massena.

The festival section of Main Street will also feature upwards of 45 vendors.

Other Harvest Fest events include a farmers' market, a Boys and Girls Club Zumbathon, Massena Fire Department fire safety demonstrations, Massena Country Club's "Course Improvement Open," a pancake breakfast at Emmanuel Congregational Church on West Orvis Street from 8:30 to 11 a.m. and Massena Museum cemetery tours.

Admission to the rain-or-shine event is free.

Info: www.massenachamber.org or 769-3525

Full schedule:

11 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Crafters, vendors and farmers’ market, Main St.; food booth, free kids fun zone with bounce houses, pony rides and petting zoo, Town Hall parking lot.

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Pumpkin painting, Town Hall parking lot.

11:30 a.m. - Line dancing with Jackie Chatterton, Main Street stage.

Noon to Recital from poet Mike VanKennen, Green Space, Key Bank

Noon to 4 p.m. - Life-size Candy Land game, 40 Main St.

12:30 p.m. - Register for zucchini car races, Main St. stage

1 to 3 p.m. - Zucchini bake-off, 45 Main St.

1:15 p.m. - Zucchini car races, Main St. stage

1:30 to 3:30 p.m. - Sock ghost craft-making Town Hall parking lot

3:15 p.m. - Zucchini bake-off winners presentation, 45 Main St.

3:30 p.m. - Fall Favorites contest winners, Chamber of Commerce booth; Ballad of Billy Bad Ass autographs, Green Space, Key Bank; mixed martial arts demonstration with John Roder, Main St. stage