Happy fall, everyone! ‘Tis the season for boots, jeans, crisp air and fall harvest food. This past week, I had the pleasure of attending a Harvest Party hosted by Tourism Abbotsford. The setting for the festive party was at Eco Dairy, a demonstration farm partnered with Science World where you can experience, discover and learn all about agriculture. The event took place behind Nature’s Pickins which is beside the Eco Dairy where we were surrounded by sunflowers and views of Mount Baker. Here’s a recap of the evening with a look at the farmers, wineries, breweries, and partners who made this evening possible.
Attendees were treated to a one-of-a-kind experience courtesy of Compass Heli Tours. Guests were transported high above to see the beautiful lands of Abbotsford below. Compass Heli Tours specializes in private backcountry helicopter adventures around BC including heli fishing, glacier ice cave exploration and more.
Field House Brewing is known for crafting good beer but did you know that they now have a farm where they actually grow their own produce? They presented an impressive charcuterie board for the event.
Harvest Grill ‘n’ Greens brought their philosophy of “fresh, healthy, flavorful, clean” food. Their dishes for the event were mouthwatering: Central Park Farms pulled pork sliders accompanied with their in-house gourmet bacon jam and coleslaw; Central Park Farms organic chicken skewers served with Nature’s Pickin’s greens; and Central Park Farms pork ribs infused with spicy Ponzu BBQ sauce with Nature’s Pickin’s corn ringlets.
Chef Jeff Massey of Restaurant 62 – the top fine dining restaurant in the Fraser Valley – crafted memorable plates for guests to indulge in.
I absolutely loved the foraged Terrace lobster mushroom risotto with Abbotsford organic rice and shaved Agassiz Farmhouse cloth bound cheddar.
Duft and Co, a popular bakery in the heart of Historic Downtown Abbotsford, offered a delectable selection of baked goodies for the evening.
Ravens Brewing Company offered two of their pours (West Coast Pale and Raspberry Hefeweizen) for the evening. They specialize in European and West Coast beers and collaborate with local growers and suppliers to craft artisan beers.
It was great to see Singletree Winery again as I had visited them this past summer (see post here). Singletree Winery is an award-winning winery specializing in growing white grape varieties on site and sourcing red grapes from the Okanagan.
Old Abbey Ales featured their Purple Draank, Sour Raspberry and Coastal IPA. At their Abbotsford tasting room and brewery, they offer the largest selection of on tap, in-house craft beer around.
Valley Weddings set up the beautiful rustic and fall-inspired decor for the party. Coalmont, a husband and wife musical duo, entertained us with their stunning vocals and guitar accompaniment.
Also featured at the Harvest Party was Hathi Brewing, which offers craft beer with an Indian Twist! Ripples Winery crafts unique wines with fresh blueberries grown on their farm; they showcased their Ripples Intemperance 2015, Ripples Cupere, and Ripples Antheia. Taves Family Farms provided the cider and pumpkins for attendees to take home. Be sure to visit Taves Farms this fall where their offer family-friendly entertainment and freshly roasted and buttered corn on the cob, U-Pick Apples, a Corn Quest Maze and much more. And if you’re a beer lover, the BC Hop Co. is holding the BC Hop Fest featuring a line up of 40 of BC’s best craft breweries on September 30.
Thank you to Tourism Abbotsford and Slap Communications for having me at this event. Visit TourismAbbotsford.ca to find out where you can eat and play. You’ll fall in love with Abby for sure. #EatPlayLoveAbby