Fall Harvest Festival Taking Place at Morningside Urban Farm
This free event is a celebration of food and community that aims to connect Roanoke residents to local resources.
Carilion Clinic Community Health and Outreach will host a Fall Harvest Festival at Morningside Urban Farm in Southeast Roanoke(0, 917 Morgan Ave SE, Roanoke, VA 24013) on Thursday, Oct. 13, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
This free event is a celebration of food and community that aims to connect Roanoke residents to local resources. Carilion is hosting the festival in partnership with the Roanoke Foodshed Network, a group of organizations working to address food systems change in the region.
Festival attendees will enjoy free Brunswick stew, hot apple cider, family-friendly activities and games. Feeding Southwest Virginia, Local Environmental Agriculture Project (LEAP) and United Way of Roanoke Valley will join other community organizations onsite, offering information on programs and services that support well-being. Carilion will also provide free flu shots at the event.
The Fall Harvest Festival, first held in 2018, was put on hold in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Carilion teams are excited to celebrate the season by welcoming the community back to the farm.
“The pandemic has taught us so much about the importance of community. Our vision for this event is that all who attend feel connected with and supported by the city of Roanoke,” said Rachel Burks, community health education manager. “What better way to celebrate community than out at the farm with good food, music and local organizations that can assist with anything from job searching to discounts on healthy and local food!”
Morningside Urban Farm is an educational space in Southeast Roanoke that benefits the local community. It hosts free community events and classes on various topics, including nutrition, gardening, mindfulness, fitness, the arts and traditional crafting. All produce grown at the farm is given for free to class participants or donated to local nonprofits. The farm is one of the many successful initiatives born from Carilion’s Community Health Assessments. This triennial process helps identify area health needs and drive investments in community health programs and partnerships.
Community members can register for the Fall Harvest Festival online at CarilionClinic.org/Farm or by calling 800-442-8482. Registration is required to guarantee a food ticket.