Festivals
Jump to a Section: Spring Festivals, Summer Festivals, Fall Festivals or Winter Festivals
There are several festivals in each season in Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. By attending the festivals the villagers will like you more and you can win prizes at certain ones. There are also several romantic festivals where you can improve your relationships with the girls.
You can show up to the festivals at any point during the times listed. When most of the festivals end it will be 6:00 pm in this videogame.
Spring Festivals
New Years Day: Spring 1
Time: between 6:00 pm and 7:50 pm
Location: either the Town Square or the Inn
You can choose if you want to go to the Square or the Inn. You’ll get +5 affection with anyone you speak to and +500 affection for any girl you speak to. Nothing else you do has any effect on anything.
Goddess Festival: Spring 8
Time: 10:00 am to 2:50 pm
Location: the Town Square
On the day before you can ask any girl who has at least 15,000 affection to attend the festival with you. You get +5 affection with any villagers you speak with and +500 affection for any girl you speak to. If you attend the festival with a girl and go home alone afterwards you get +1,000 affection with that girl. If you agree to go to her favorite place afterwards you get +3,000 affection.
Spring Thanksgiving: Spring 14
Time: 6:00 am to 5:00 pm
Location: n/a
On this day you give girls something sweet to eat. You get +1,000 affection if you give a dessert to a girl. You can’t repeatedly give them gifts. You only get +1,000 affection for the first gift.
Horse Race: Spring 18
Time: 10:00 am to 2:50 pm
Location: the Town Square
There are three races you can watch and if your horse is an adult you can participate in the race yourself. The higher your horse’s stamina the better you’ll do in the race.
You’ll get +5 affection with every villager you speak to. You’ll also get +500 affection with every girl you speak to. You can speak to everyone before each race and get a maximum of +15 affection and +1500 affection with the villagers and girls.
If you participate in the race and win all the villagers there get +20 affection and all the girls there get +500 affection.
Cooking Festival: Spring 22
Time: 10:00 am to 2:50 pm
Location: the Town Square
You can cook any dish you want and bring it. If you submit Relaxation Tea you’re pretty much guaranteed to win. You’ll get +5 affection with every villager you speak to and +500 affection with any girl you speak to. If you win the contest you’ll get +20 affection with all the villagers there and +500 with each of the girls there.
Summer Festivals
Swimming Festival: Summer 1
Time: 10:00 am to 2:50 pm
Location: the beach
You get +5 affection with any villager you speak to. You also get +500 affection with any girl you speak to. The first time you win this festival you’ll get a Power Berry.
If you win the festival you’ll get +20 affection with all the villagers there and +500 with all the girls there. This is probably the hardest minigame to win in this videogame.
Chicken Festival: Summer 7
Time: 10:00 am to 2:50 pm
Location: the Town Square
You can go and watch or on the day before you can enter a chicken in the contest. If your chicken wins the contest it will give Gold Eggs. The higher your chicken’s heart level the better it’s chances at winning will be.
You’ll get +5 affection for everyone you speak to.If you win you’ll get +20 affection with every villager there.
Tomato Festival: Summer 12
Time: 10:00 am to 2:50 pm
Location: the Town Square
You get +5 affection with any villager you speak to and +500 affection with any girl you speak to. If your team wins you get +20 affection with each villager and +500 affection with each girl. You don’t seem to get any affection bonus with the person who’s team you join.
Cow Festival: Summer 20
Time: 10:00 am to 2:50 pm
Location: Yodel Ranch
You can watch this festival or enter your own cow the day before. If your cow wins the festival it will start giving Gold Milk. The higher your cow’s heart level the better chance it has of winning.
You get +5 affection with any villager you speak to and +500 affection with any girl you speak to. If your cow wins you get +20 affection with each villager and +500 affection with each girl.
Fireworks Display: Summer 24
Time: 6:00 pm to 7:50 pm
Location: the beach
You can watch the fireworks with any girl in this videogame or Kai might ask you to watch them with him. You’ll get +5 affection with any villager you speak to and +500 affection with any girl you speak to.
It doesn’t matter who you watch the fireworks with, you won’t get any extra affection points with them.
Fall Festivals
Music Festival: Fall 3
Time: 6:00 pm to 6:50 pm
Location: the church
You can either show up and watch or if you agree to participate the day before you’ll play the ocarina in the performance. It won’t affect anyone’s affection if you choose to participate or not.
You’ll get +5 affection for each villager you speak to and +500 affection for each girl you speak to.
Harvest Festival: Fall 9
Time: 10:00 am to 2:50 pm
Location: the Town Square
You can bring a random ingredient for the soup or not. It doesn’t really matter what you bring or if you bring something. You’ll get +5 affection with any villager you speak to and +500 with any girl you speak to.
Moon Viewing Festival: Fall 13
Time: 6:00 pm to 11:50 pm
Location: the top of Mount Moon
You go to the top of the mountain and spend time with a girl who likes you enough. There are no effects on anyone’s affection.
Sheep Festival: Fall 21
Time: 10:00 am to 2:50 pm
Location: Yodel Ranch
If you have a sheep in this videogame with fully grown wool you can enter it in the contest the day before or you can just attend the festival and watch. If your sheep wins the festival it will give Gold Wool.
You get +5 affection with any villager you speak to and +500 with any girl you speak to. If your sheep wins then you get +20 affection with each villager and +500 with each girl there.
Winter Festivals
Dog Race: Winter 10
Time: 10:00 am to 2:50 pm
Location: the Town Square
You can either watch the race or enter your dog. The higher your dog’s intelligence in this videogame the beter chance he has of winning.
You’ll get +5 affection with any villager you speak to and +500 affection with any girl you speak to. If your dog wins you’ll get +20 affection with everyone there and +500 with any of the girls who are there.
Winter Thanksgiving: Winter 14
Time: 6:00 am, 8:00 am, 10:00 am, 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm
Location: your farm
Any girl who has at least a purple heart will come by your farm and give you some kind of chocolate. If their heart level is purple or blue you’ll get chocolate and if their heart level is green, yellow, orange or pink you’ll get chocolate cake. There is no effect on affection levels.
Star Night Festival: Winter 24
Time: 6:00 pm to 7:50 pm
Location: depends on the girl
Talk to a girl in this videogame the day before and if she likes you enough she’ll invite you to have dinner with her family. If you’re married the dinner will take place at your house. There is no effect on affection levels.
New Years Eve: Winter 30
Time: 12:00 am to 4:50 am
Location: the top of Mother’s Hill
You head up to the top of Mother’s Hill and watch the sunrise with all the other villagers. You’ll get +5 affection with any villager you speak to and +500 with any girl you speak to.