FCAD isn’t really one event anymore. It’s an entire Quincy weekend. What begins Friday evening with a September 11 remembrance will move downtown for the B Street Block Party, take over much of Quincy Saturday with the traditional Farmer-Consumer Awareness Days parade and festival, and continue into Sunday morning with Church in the Park, which has moved from its usual July date to join FCAD Weekend this year. For longtime residents, many of the sights will be familiar; tractors on Central Avenue, produce from nearby farms, quilts in the middle school gym and neighbors gathered throughout the festival grounds, but together they now form three days of activities celebrating agriculture, history and community across the 98848.
More Than Four Decades of Farmer-Consumer Awareness Days
For more than four decades, Farmer-Consumer Awareness Days has celebrated the agricultural heritage of the Quincy Valley. Long before FCAD grew to include classic cars, entertainment, food vendors and many of the activities families associate with the festival today, the idea behind the celebration was contained in its name: bringing farmers and consumers together and helping people better understand the agricultural industry that surrounds Quincy.
That connection remains visible throughout the weekend for those who look beyond the parade and entertainment. The produce sale puts crops grown on nearby farms directly in front of local consumers, while agricultural and geological exhibits help explain how irrigation and the landscape created by the Ice Age Floods helped shape the Quincy Valley into the agricultural region it is today.
The celebration also remains largely the product of volunteers. When Life in the 98848 attended an FCAD committee meeting earlier this summer, organizers were still working through parade logistics, entertainment schedules, vendor registrations, educational exhibits and the many smaller decisions required to put the festival together. The meeting offered a look at the work that takes place months before the public sees a float on Central Avenue or a vendor booth behind Quincy Middle School.
With those preparations nearly complete, FCAD Weekend begins Friday.
Friday: FCAD Weekend Begins
The weekend will open on a reflective note at 5 p.m. Friday, September 11, when Veterans Operation Creation holds a special Patriot Day remembrance on the front lawn of the Quincy Valley Historical Society & Museum, 415 F Street SW. The program will honor those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, while recognizing first responders, military members and those who have chosen to serve the country. Organizers expect the presentation to last approximately 45 minutes and are asking attendees to bring lawn chairs or blankets.
About the time that ceremony concludes, activity will already be building a few blocks away for the B Street Block Party, scheduled from 5:30 to 10 p.m. The annual downtown gathering brings live entertainment, food and beverage vendors, children’s activities and dancing to B Street, providing a considerably different atmosphere for the second half of Friday evening.
This year’s entertainment includes local musician Rylei Franks, who has prepared a country set for the Quincy crowd, along with DJ Jerry and headliner The Wicked Pickles. The band is expected to perform a mix of ’80s and classic rock with country, pop and alternative music mixed into the evening.
Food options will include a mixture of returning vendors and several making their first B Street appearance. Announced vendors include Tacos El Tapatio, El Charro Birrieria, Iggy’s Teriyaki, The Churro Man, Porky’s Hotdogs, J&L Snowcones and Cosmos Cotton Candy. El Charro Birrieria, The Churro Man and Iggy’s Teriyaki are newcomers this year, while Cosmos Cotton Candy is among the vendors that have participated since the Block Party’s early years.
Beverage vendors include Wheel Line Cider, Ten Pin Brewing and Jones of Washington, among others. Ten Pin is another vendor that has been part of the Block Party since its beginning, while Wheel Line Cider returns with its locally made cider. Families will also find a kids games, with L-Bow the Clown making his first appearance at the event and face painting returning this year. There is no admission charge for the Block Party, although food and beverages are purchased from individual vendors.
Saturday Morning: Getting Ready for FCAD
While the parade is the traditional beginning of FCAD for many spectators, activity around Quincy will begin several hours before the first entry reaches Central Avenue. Vendors begin setting up around 7 a.m., parade judging runs from 8 to 9 a.m., and the FFA produce sale in the Quincy Middle School parking lot is expected to begin around 8:00 a.m. Organizers have not published a precise opening time for the produce sale.
Parade trophies will be presented between 9:15 and 9:30 a.m. in front of the Quincy Public Library, followed by parade check-in and lineup at 9:30. Award categories include Best Antique Tractor, Best Use of Farm Equipment, Most Creative Entry, Best Youth Participation, Most Agricultural Spirit, Best Community Group, Best Classic Car, Best Lowrider/Vicla and Judges’ Choice.
The 2026 Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce Car Show also begins at 9 a.m. Saturday and continues until 2 p.m. on the FCAD festival grounds behind Quincy Middle School. The car show is one of the activities already underway before the parade, although the larger festival grounds will become considerably busier after the parade concludes and spectators begin making their way toward the middle school.
The FCAD Parade
The 2026 FCAD Parade begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, bringing tractors, floats, classic cars, community organizations, youth groups, schools and other entries through Quincy before ultimately directing participants toward the festival grounds.
The parade will travel down Central Avenue before turning left onto E Street and continuing to Second Avenue SE. From there, the route moves to C Street SE, then toward Fourth Avenue SE at Ancient Lakes Elementary School before continuing toward Division Street. Once participants reach Division, they can disperse toward the festival grounds or return toward the staging area. The official parade map shows the route moving through downtown and then east toward Ancient Lakes Elementary and the middle school area.
Walkers and children participating in the parade may stop at Ancient Lakes Elementary School to meet parents or guardians rather than continuing through the entire dispersal route. Parade instructions place responsibility on chaperones to make sure children are safely returned to a parent or guardian.
The parade will also affect Saturday morning traffic. Road closures and interruptions are expected along Central Avenue and portions of E Street, Second Avenue SE, C Street SE and Fourth Avenue SE north toward Division. Specific closure times have not been published in the information available to Life in the 98848, so drivers should allow additional time when traveling through that part of Quincy Saturday morning. Spectators hoping for their choice of viewing locations along Central Avenue should also plan to arrive before the 10 a.m. start.
After the Parade: Where Everything Is
Once the parade concludes, the center of FCAD shifts toward Quincy Middle School and the playfields behind it, where most of Saturday’s festival activities are concentrated. The grounds cover a fairly large area, but the general layout puts many of the indoor attractions in the school gym and spreads the larger outdoor activities across the fields behind it.
The FFA produce sale is located in the middle school parking lot in the morning before the rest of the events start picking up steam.
Inside the school, visitors will find the quilt show, some vendors and educational displays, while the outdoor vendor area and entertainment stage occupy the festival grounds behind the school. The car show is located farther across the fields on the other side of the outdoor vendors and stage, and the tractor pull takes place around the old practice baseball fields.
There is no general admission charge for FCAD. Food and other merchandise sold by individual vendors will cost money, as will produce purchased through the FFA sale, but families can walk the festival grounds, visit community booths, view the displays and watch the scheduled entertainment without purchasing admission.
Organizers have not released a detailed hour-by-hour schedule for every Saturday activity, but the festival reaches its busiest period following the parade and continues through the afternoon. The quilt show remains open until quilts are released for pickup at 4 p.m., while the announced stage schedule continues through at least the 3 p.m. performance by the Quincy High School Dance Team.
What to Eat, See and Do
The festival grounds will include a mixture of food vendors, community organizations, businesses, public agencies and other booths. A children’s play area will provide activities for younger visitors, while the car show, quilt show, tractor pull, produce sale, educational exhibits and entertainment stage give families several different areas to visit throughout the afternoon.
Among the community organizations expected to participate are Veterans Operation Creation, Quincy Partnership for Youth, local fire, police and EMS, 98848Vision.org, Quincy Veterans Threads, Welcome to Quincy WA News and the Quincy Valley Historical Society. Political campaigns are also expected to have booths on the grounds. Because a complete vendor list has not been published, those organizations represent only some of the groups visitors may encounter Saturday.
The Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce Car Show will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the far field beyond the primary vendor and stage area. Inside the middle school gymnasium, quilts entered in this year’s FCAD Quilt Show will be displayed with an attendant present throughout the event. Community members will have an opportunity to select favorites based on characteristics such as color and design, and entrants can pick up their quilts beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday.
The tractor pull, held around the old practice baseball fields, provides one of the more direct links to the festival’s agricultural roots. Along with the antique tractors and farm equipment appearing in the parade, it remains one of the activities that distinguishes FCAD from the many other community festivals held around the region.
Saturday’s Entertainment Schedule
Saturday afternoon’s stage program begins at 11:00 a.m. with the Rocky Ford Band, a local band originating from George, WA. Followed by Dancing Horses performance at 12 in the arena adjacent to the stage (based on last year’s layout)
At 12:30 Veterans Operation Creation is presenting the colors and a patriotic program that includes the National Anthem, “The Ragged Old Flag,” “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” “America the Beautiful,” an Armed Forces Medley, “God Bless the USA” and “God Bless America.”
The opening program will also recognize DeHoog Family Dairy as the 2026 Quincy Farm Family and Yesenia James as the 2026 Honorary Farmer before the afternoon entertainment begins.
11:00 a.m. - Rocky Ford Band
12:00 p.m – Dancing Horses
12:30 p.m. — Veterans Operation Creation and FCAD awards
1 p.m. — Quincy Bunnies Cheerleaders, Coach Veronica Sanchez
1:15 p.m. — Glen Bair, Cowboy Poetry & Song
1:45 p.m. — Royalty Dance Studio
2 p.m. — Quincy Valley Allied Arts introduces this year’s lineup
2:10 p.m. — Current and past Quincy High School Choir performers
3 p.m. — Quincy High School Dance Team, Coach Tina Hobson
The 2:10 p.m. program is scheduled to include Ruby Gonzales, Owen Yeates, Belle Rollins, Juan Ferreyra & The Jack Street Boys, Olivia Asay, Jorge Salas-Ruiz and Emma Yeates. The Quincy High School Dance Team, coached by Tina Hobson, follows at 3 p.m. 2026 FCAD entertainment.docx Murphy’s Corner Coffee Shop will also operate a kiddie train throughout the afternoon.
Don’t Miss the “Farmer-Consumer” Part of FCAD
With a parade, car show, food vendors and an afternoon of entertainment competing for attention, it can be easy to spend several hours at FCAD without exploring the part of the celebration that explains why Farmer-Consumer Awareness Days exists in the first place.
One of the most visible examples is the annual produce sale in the Quincy Middle School parking lot. Organized by the Quincy FFA Alumni Association with help from Quincy High School FFA students, the sale features produce donated largely by farmers within about 15 miles of Quincy. The expected selection this year includes apples, onions, shallots, potatoes, sweet corn, honey, lavender products and beans, with garlic and peppers dependent on harvest timing.
Because the produce comes directly from area farms, the final selection can change right up to festival weekend. Some products are picked up shortly before the sale, and others may not be harvested until Saturday morning. Proceeds help support FFA while providing one of FCAD’s most literal connections between the farmers who produce food in the Quincy Valley and the consumers who live alongside them.
That agricultural story continues inside Quincy Middle School. Plans developed by the FCAD committee include educational displays from Washington State Parks and the Ice Age Flood Institute explaining how the Ice Age Floods carved the landscape and how irrigation later helped transform the Quincy Valley into productive agricultural ground. Exhibits were expected to include three-dimensional relief maps, videos, educational displays and Junior Ranger activities for younger visitors.
The Quincy Valley Historical Society is also expected to participate with a special display tied to America’s 250th anniversary. The 1776-themed exhibit connects the area’s local history with the national semiquincentennial and was among the historical components being developed as organizers prepared for this year’s festival.
Those exhibits help preserve the “awareness” portion of Farmer-Consumer Awareness Days. The fields, canals and basalt cliffs surrounding Quincy are familiar scenery for people who live here, but FCAD provides an opportunity to explain how that landscape was formed, how water changed what could be grown here and why agriculture continues to play such an important role in the economy and identity of the 98848.
Sunday: Church in the Park Joins FCAD Weekend
FCAD Weekend will continue into Sunday this year with a familiar Quincy event appearing in a new place on the calendar. Church in the Park, traditionally held in July, has been moved to FCAD Weekend this year, allowing the gathering to take advantage of cooler September weather while adding another community event to the weekend.
Church in the Park begins at 10 a.m. Sunday, September 13, in front of the Heritage Barn at the Quincy Valley Historical Society & Museum. Local churches will gather for a community worship service, and attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. A meal will be provided following the service.
The move also gives FCAD Weekend a different conclusion than it has had in previous years. After Friday’s remembrance and downtown celebration and Saturday’s much larger parade and festival, Sunday provides an opportunity for local congregations and families to gather together before the weekend comes to a close.
One Weekend That Still Looks Like Quincy
Several weeks ago, when Life in the 98848 attended an FCAD committee meeting, the weekend described above existed mostly on paper. Volunteers worked through questions involving parade entries, vendor locations, entertainment, quilts, children’s activities, educational displays, stage decorations and the many logistical details required to put thousands of people into the same general area for a community celebration. Nearly every part of the discussion eventually came back to finding people willing to help make it happen.
Those conversations are easy to forget once FCAD arrives. By Saturday, most residents will see the results instead: tractors and floats moving down Central Avenue, classic cars lined up behind the middle school, quilts hanging in the gym, FFA students selling produce grown nearby, children moving between activities and neighbors stopping to talk as they make their way through the festival grounds. It is the finished version of something volunteers have been assembling piece by piece for months.
That was part of the story organizers hoped people would understand when preparations were still underway. FCAD has always celebrated the relationship between agriculture and the community it supports, but the event itself also depends on neighbors contributing time and effort to keep a long-running Quincy tradition alive.
This year, that tradition stretches farther across the weekend. Friday brings remembrance and a downtown block party. Saturday remains the heart of FCAD, beginning with locally grown produce and a parade before moving to an afternoon of agriculture, education, entertainment and community activities. For the first time, Church in the Park will extend the gathering into Sunday morning.
For residents across the 98848, FCAD Weekend remains one of those occasions when much of what makes Quincy recognizable can be found within a few blocks: agriculture and local history, schools and youth groups, veterans and first responders, churches, businesses, community organizations and generations of families who have made the celebration part of their September. The planning meetings are nearly over. This weekend, the community gets to see what its volunteers built.