Words by Gabriella Scali and Caitlin Lichimo. Photos by Rachel Topham.
For the first time since 2019, the UBC Harvest Feastival was back and better than ever on September 19, 2024, for an epic evening of food, friends, arts, and culture. Hosted by UBC Inspired, Sage Catering, and the UBC Arts and Culture District, the Harvest Feastival celebrates autumn and the start of the school year with a family-style feast of six locally sourced dishes and an evening of world-class entertainment.
Harvest Feastival: a UBC farm-to-table tradition
UBC's Harvest Feastival started in 2012 and has since become a tradition at the UBC Vancouver campus. Originally hosted to celebrate the end of the UBC Farm’s harvest season and final farmer’s market of the season, Harvest Feastival has turned into a massive, long-table outdoor feast.
Lights twinkled under the enormous tent in University Commons, as 700+ guests made their way through the gates and pulled up a seat at one of the long tables — ready to share a meal and a conversation with new friends.
A menu full of climate-friendly dining options
The six locally-sourced and climate-friend dishes on the menu were prepared by Executive Chef David Speight and his team at Sage Catering using fresh ingredients sourced right from UBC Farm. Featured ingredients included a delicious honey miso glazed steelhead, gorgonzola phyllo, baked pear, and squashed penne.
In addition, the menu highlighted a commitment to sustainability by proudly showcasing UBC’s new Climate Friendly Food Labels, designed in collaboration with the SEEDS Sustainability Program and the first pilot program of its kind in Canada. These food labels display symbols that represent how much greenhouse gas emissions the food represents, informing consumers of their sustainable food options.
Dinner and a Show: Harvest Festival Arts and Culture Crawl
No good dinner is complete without a show.
As the sun set after dinner, guests followed the UBC Thunderbird Marching Band out of the tent on a Musical March to the Arts and Culture District where partners planned a spectacular evening of specially-curated programming for guests, including side-splitting improv (featuring UBC alumni) at the Freddy Wood Theatre, to eclectic musical performances at the Museum of Anthropology, previews of UBC Opera’s season at the Old Auditorium, and tours of new exhibitions at the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery.
Throughout the evening, surprise performances demonstrated the incredible talents of the UBC community—from performances by the UBC Arts Staff Choir to the amazing UBC Opera students.
Harvest Feastival is scheduled every September – view the menu and schedule and get your tickets now for the next sell-out event!