Loyalhanna Watershed's Harvest Dinner features outdoor picnic setting for 2nd year
Jul. 29—Loyalhanna Watershed Association will hold its annual Harvest Dinner outdoors for the second year in a row.
Compared to past indoor, chef-prepared meals, the outdoor a la carte format on Aug. 7 allows more people to attend while maintaining social distancing during the pandemic.
"We had over 250 people last year, with it being outside," watershed association Executive Director Susan Huba said of the farm-to-table event. "People can kind of browse and build their menu on their own.
"For years, it was held inside our barn, and we had around 100 people we could fit in."
Now in its sixth year, the dinner will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. It is a collaboration between the association and the seasonal Ligonier Country Market, which is held Saturday mornings in a field at the watershed association farm just west of Ligonier Borough — also the site for the outdoor dinner.
"We focused on inviting some of the vendors from the market that do freshly prepared food to offer those items at the dinner," said Huba. "We have some wineries and beverage options as well."
Music will be provided by T-Bird & Freddie, a duo that performs in the Greensburg area, playing a variety of music from the 1960s through today, according to its Facebook page.
At 6 p.m., door prizes donated by a variety of Ligonier Country Market vendors will be awarded.
"It's a way to give back to our landlord and to the watershed as a whole," said Cari Frei, executive director of the market.
Later, there will be an opportunity to take part in the release of individually packaged painted lady and monarch butterflies. "They"ll be able to watch the butterflies leap from their hands and land in the pollinator garden," Frei said.
Those planning to attend the dinner should bring their own picnic setup and are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance by visiting loyalhannawatershed.org and searching under the "Events" heading.
There is a fee of $5 for admission and parking. The cost at the gate will be $8.
"We keep the cost low because we want people to support the vendors," Huba said of the admission fee.
The association's proceeds from the event will support its outdoor programs. It recently conducted a program on fireflies and is planning a fall event near Halloween.
Vendors that will be featured at the Harvest Dinner include Tyler's Bakery, Simply Good, The Pickled Chef, Cinco de Mayo, Little Garden Kitchen, Darlington Inn, Sandhill Berries, Sugar & Spice, The Farmer's Daughter Cookie Company, Crooked Creek Distillery, Stateside Vodka, Greendance Winery and Wine O'Clock Somewhere Winery.
Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff at 724-836-6622, jhimler@triblive.com or via Twitter .
