The Harvest Moon Festival was founded in 2002. The event is run and managed by the Harvest Moon Society, an organization founded in the spirit of community, cooperation, and a shared interest in building a sustainable food system for future generations. The Harvest Moon Festival celebrates the harvest season, local food production, and healthy land and healthy communities in Clearwater. One of its main goals is to build bridges between rural and urban people through gatherings of farmers and eaters, educational workshops, and good music.
The Harvest Moon Festival is instrumental in promoting the Harvest Moon Learning Center, the town of Clearwater, the beauty of the Pembina Valley, the produce of local producers, and the talent of local artists. Revenue generated from the event gives a boost to the town’s businesses and organizations.
The Harvest Moon Festival is based on eight principles:
- Respect for the festival community and Clearwater.
- Build bridges between rural and urban people.
- Healthy and safe community where discrimination is not tolerated.
- Be green and leaven no trace.
- Active participation.
- Think locally, act provincially, nationally, globally.
- Communal and collaborative effort.
- Celebrating growers, farmers, local arts and heritage.
So, what does the program of the Harvest Moon Festival include? One of the festival’s main attractions is the Trade Fair and Farmer’s Market where you can find home-grown and handmade goods. A lot of vendors and artisans offer local fresh food and beautiful wares, including grains, meat, plants, baking, vegetables, natural body products, pottery, clothing, and much more. Besides, local artisans conduct a series of workshops throughout the entire festival.
The festival’s music line-up mostly features bands from the province of Manitoba. The Harvest Moon Festival embraces various music genres and styles, including folk rock, bluegrass, Americana, country music, and other genres of folk music.
Photo: traillady.com
