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Fourth annual Harvest Party at Kimberley’s Open Gate Garden

Wildsight’s annual event includes zucchini races, fresh squeezed apple juice, live music and more.
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This Saturday, October 1 marks the fourth annual Harvest Party at Kimberley’s Open Gate Garden.

Hosted by Wildsight, this family friendly event will take place at Kimberley’s Open Gate Garden on Rotary Drive, behind the Aquatic Centre, at 2p.m..

“As in previous years, Wildsight is organizing a variety of activities for the event,” said the organization. “Our famed zucchini races are back, with new and improved race vehicles to push the current record times. Enjoy the garden’s harvest in the form of many delectable goods, and we invite you to bring your own potluck item to share.”

“This will be the third year we are doing the zucchini races,” said Dirk de Geus, Food Sustainability Coordinator for Wildsight. “People can bring their own zucchinis or use the zucchinis we have available. It is a fun activity were the zucchinis race down a ramp and the fastest wins. Some people build and bring their own racers and some use racers we have here. For this year our board member Dean has built some amazing racers.”

Wildsight’s apple capture equiptment will be on site for pressing locally harvested apples into fresh juice for sipping and the festivities will be accompanied by live music.

“A lot of people contribute to the Open Gate Garden in one way or another and this is a nice way to celebrate the efforts of everyone involved and end the gardening season. It is also an opportunity to meet people in the community and share thoughts while sipping on a glass of freshly pressed apple juice,” said de Geus.”Due to the amount of apples this year we have separated the apple pick and pressing events from the harvest party, but at the party there will still be a chance to press your own apples and taste the juice. October 21 and 22 there will be anther organized pick and press event.”

The Open Gate Garden is a public, edible garden for the whole community to enjoy. Wildsight says that sharing is the foundation of the garden, as is the Harvest Party.

“As Food Sustainability Coordinator for Wildsight Kimberley/Cranbrook we try to build a sustainable community by growing food locally and the Open Gate Garden is a great tool to do this,” de Geus said. “It is kind of like an outdoor classroom and experiment lab. We try new growing techniques or use techniques that have been used for hundreds of years that work for this mountain climate. Students from schools in Kimberley come to visit the Garden on a regular basis as well. It is a great way to learn where your food comes from. The garden is based on sharing. Sharing knowledge, the work in the garden and the fruits of the labour resulting in this celebration.”

For more information contact Dirk de Geus, Food Sustainability Coordinator at 250.427.2535 or dirk@wildsight.ca.

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Corey Bullock

About the Author: Corey Bullock

Corey Bullock is a multimedia journalist and writer who grew up in Burlington, Ontario.
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