Harvest Moon: Back To Nature Festivals

There are plenty of festivals and holidays in this game.  This is an overview of each event, and their effects if you choose to attend (or not attend).  For Holiday Type, if it's listed as Romantic, then the shipper will still come by and pick up produce in the bin; for the other two types (Get-Together and Competition), the shipper won't pick up the stuff put in the bin on the festival day until the next day. Obviously, Competition festivals have something you can take part in, usually with some sort of prize if you win.  Get-Together festivals are usually just events where you talk to everybody and watch a cutscene.

Spring 1 - New Year's Party
When: 6:00PM Last Chance: 7:50PM Where: Square or Inn
Holiday Type: Get-Together
What to Do: Go to either the Square or the Inn
Effects: +5 affection with anybody you talk to during the festival (+500
for any girl; only once in both cases); no effects otherwise (not even when
you choose your dance partner)

Spring 8 - Goddess Festival
When: 10:00AM Last Chance: 2:50PM Where: Square
Holiday Type: Get-Together
What to Do: Attend, and ask the mayor to start the dance; you can also ask
any girl with at least 15000 affection for you to come with you on the 7th
Effects: +5 affection with anybody you talk to during the festival (+500
for any girl; once only for both cases); +3000 if you took a girl and agree
to go with her to her to her favorite location, +1000 if you just go home

Spring 14 - Spring Thanksgiving
When: N/A Last Chance: 5:00PM Where: N/A
Holiday Type: Romantic
What to Do: Give gifts to the girls
Effects: +1000 affection with any girl that you give cookies to (first time
only)

Spring 18 - Local Horse Race
When: 10:00AM Last Chance: 2:50PM Where: Square
Holiday Type: Competition
What to Do: Attend and watch all 3 races; participate if your horse is
fully grown, if you wish
Effects: +5 affection with anybody you talk to during the festival (+500
for any girl; only once per race for both cases, though you can get up to
15 and 1500 per villager and girl, respectively); +20 for everybody present
at the race (+500 for each girl present) if you participate and win

Spring 22 - Cooking Festival
When: 10:00AM Last Chance: 2:50PM Where: Square
Holiday Type: Competition
What to Do: Attend; bring a dish if you want to try and win
Effects: +5 affection with anybody you talk to during the festival (+500
for any girl; only once before and after the judging for both cases); +20
for everybody present at the festival (+500 for each girl present) if you
win the contest

Summer 1 - Opening Day
When: 10:00AM Last Chance: 2:50PM Where: Mineral Beach
Holiday Type: Competition
What to Do: Attend, and swim in the race
Effects: +5 affection with anybody you talk to during the festival (+500
for any girl; only once before and after the race for both cases); +20 for
everybody present at the race (+500 for each girl present) if you win,
plus you get a Power Berry the first time you win

Summer 7 - Sumo Chicken Festival
When: 10:00AM Last Chance: 2:50PM Where: Square
Holiday Type: Competition
What to Do: Attend; if you have a chicken, you can compete
Effects: +5 affection with anybody you talk to during the festival (no
girls show up for this one; only once before and after the fights); +20 for
everybody present at the fights if you win, plus your competing hen will
get a gold crown next to its name and produce Golden Eggs from then on

Summer 12 - Tomato Festival
When: 10:00AM Last Chance: 2:50PM Where: Square
Holiday Type: Competition
What to Do: Attend, and join a team
Effects: +5 affection with anybody you talk to during the festival (+500
for any girl; only once before and after the fights for both cases); +20
for everybody present at the fights (+500 for the girls) if your team wins

Summer 20 - Cow Festival
When: 10:00AM Last Chance: 2:50PM Where: Yodel Ranch
Holiday Type: Competition
What to Do: Attend; if you have a mature cow, you can enter it on the 19th
Effects: +5 affection with anybody you talk to during the festival (+500
for any girl; only once before or after the judging in both cases); +20
for everybody present at the festival (+500 for the girls) if your cow
wins, that cow will also have a crown by its name and produce Milk G

Summer 24 - Fireworks Display
When: 6:00PM Last Chance: 7:50PM Where: Mineral Beach
Holiday Type: Get-Together
What to Do: Attend; you can watch it with a girl you like, or Kai if he
asks you to
Effects: +5 affection with anybody you talk to during the festival (+500
for any girl; only once before and after the fireworks in both cases); no
effects otherwise

Fall 3 - Music Festival
When: 6:00PM Last Chance: 6:50PM Where: Church
Holiday Type: Get-Together
What to Do: Attend; if you agreed to play the ocarina on the 2nd, then
you'll do just that
Effects: No affection changes if you accept or refuse to participate;
+5 affection with anybody you talk to during the festival (+500 for any
girl; only once in both cases); no effects otherwise

Fall 9 - Harvest Festival
When: 10:00AM Last Chance: 2:50PM Where: Square
Holiday Type: Get-Together
What to Do: Attend, and bring something to add to the hot pot
Effects: +5 affection with anybody you talk to during the festival (+500
for any girl; only once before or after the soup in both cases); No effects
otherwise (it really doesn't matter what you put in the soup)

Fall 13 - Moon-Viewing Day
When: 6:00PM Last Chance: 11:50PM Where: Mother Hill peak
Holiday Type: Romantic
What to Do: Go to the peak and spend time with the girl who likes you most
Effects: Oddly enough, there are no effects

Fall 21 - Sheep Festival
When: 10:00AM Last Chance: 2:50PM Where: Yodel Ranch
Holiday Type: Competition
What to Do: Attend; if you have an unshorn sheep, you can enter it on the
20th
Effects: +5 affection with anybody you talk to during the festival (+500
for any girl; only once before or after the festival in both cases); +20
for everybody present at the festival (+500 for the girls) if your sheep
wins, that sheep will also have a crown by its name and produce Wool G

Winter 10 - Dog Race
When: 10:00AM Last Chance: 2:50PM Where: Square
Holiday Type: Competition
What to Do: Attend; if you let your dog enter the race, you can participate
Effects: +5 affection with anybody you talk to during the festival (+500
for any girl; only once before and after the race in both cases); +20 for
everybody present at the festival (+500 for the girls) if your dog wins

Winter 14 - Winter Thanksgiving
When: See Below Last Chance: See Below Where: Your farm
Holiday Type: Romantic
What to Do: Hang around outside your house at 6:00AM, 8:00AM, 10:00AM,
1:00PM, and 3:00PM
Effects: If a girl has at least a purple-heart relationship with you, she
will stop by to give you a chocolate item.  For purple- and blue-heart
relationships, you get Chocolate.  For green-heart and above relationships,
you get Chocolate Cake.  No effect on relationships.

Winter 24 - Star Night Festival
When: 6:00PM Last Chance: 7:50PM Where: Varies
Holiday Type: Get-Together
What to Do: Talk a girl on the 23rd, and she might invite you to come over
for dinner with her family (if your relationship is good enough); if you're
married, then this event will happen automatically at home
Effects: Surprisingly, no effects whatsoever, not even when you're married

Winter 30 - New Year's Eve
When: 12:00AM Last Chance: 4:50AM Where: Mother Hill peak
Holiday Type: Get-Together
What to Do: Attend
Effects: +5 affection with anybody you talk to during the festival (+500
for any girl; only once in both cases)