The Celebration of the Harvest takes place at Shipyards Park again this year on Thursday, this time with a special visit from mythologies past.
Demeter – the harvest goddess from Greek myths who also goes by the name Ceres in Roman legends – will be at the festival, talking about the triumphs and stories of farming and harvesting over the centuries.
Nicole Bauberger will also provide storytelling in the pavilion, and Claire Ness will be clowning around the park grounds, so there will be plenty of opportunities to catch a good yarn.
There will be tasty treats. You can help make ice cream with an old-fashioned churn. It takes time, and the churn has to move at different speeds depending on what stage of freezing the cream is at. Someone will be there timing the freezing and telling you whether to crank faster or slower, says outgoing artistic director Arlin McFarlin.
“You know what else is fun . . . there’s a theatre company in Salmon Arm, and they lent us these long strips of fabric with prints of vegetables that get woven into a big patchwork quilt, so it’s kind of a community engagement project.”
The quilt is large, at least 30 by 30 feet, she says, so it takes a group to make it and then to move it onto the hill where it can be seen. Kids and families are encouraged to join in.
Hands-on activities also include a felting workshop with Sheila Alexandrovich.
The Celebration of the Harvest is put together by Yukon Educational Theatre (YET, who welcomes new artistic director Erin Corbett) and Fireweed Community Market, and it takes place on the market’s last day for the season.
Join in the celebration of local farmers, delicious food, organic gardeners and community, with music by Andrea McColeman, from 3-8 pm on September 15. For more information, please contact Linda Leon, Production Manager, at 668-5028. – MW
