First Harvest Moon Festival ‘celebrates progress’

First Harvest Moon Festival ‘celebrates progress’

The peninsula’s biggest food celebration commences this Saturday with live music, activities, guest speakers, cooking demonstrations, farm vendors and food trucks that will be featuring healthy dishes with Alaska-grown products.

Harvest Moon Local Food Week is in its sixth year, and for the first time, the week will end in a festival. Kenai Local Food Connection, a nonprofit group of volunteers operating under Bridges Community Resource Network, organizes Harvest Moon Local Food Week. Heidi Chay of Kenai Soil and Water District, a co-sponsor of the festival, said the event celebrates progress.

“We want to keep up the momentum,” Chay said.

The festival will kick off Friday with a keynote speaker. From 6-8 p.m., at the Soldotna Public Library, Bryce Wrigley, founder of Alaska Flour Company and Delta Junction farmer, will present a talk on “Alaska’s Path to Food Security.” Wrigley plans to highlight options on how to move Alaska toward self-sufficiency. The event is free.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

On Saturday at the festival, there will be seven demonstrations where people can watch how to preserve produce, cook with wild plants and how to use Alaska-grown barley, among other things.

There will also be a Preserving the Harvest tent where visitors can see and learn how to keep and use their products through the winter months. With farmers markets closing for the winter, the festival presents an opportunity to stock up on locally grown food.

“This will be the biggest gathering of food vendors,” Chay said. “This spring was cool and late, which means farmers are now bringing in large harvests.”

There will be live music — from Latin guitar to classic rock, to bluegrass — to serenade festival goers.

The Soldotna-based food truck, Wok n’ Roll, will be serving up their classic Filipino dishes with a healthier, Alaska-grown twist.

“Our regular combo meals will be served with a twist,” Raquel Hawkins, owner of Wok n’ Roll said. “Instead of rice and noodles, we will top it with sides of chop suey or stir fry vegetables. We’ll have brown rice, salad greens, fresh and vegetarian rolls, curry with squash and green beans, adobo with potato and pickled vegetables and steamed dumplings.”

The festival also features many speakers, including Saskia Esslinger who is a garden educator and the executive director of Homer Folk School, Dr. Gary Ferguson who is a consultant and former wellness and prevention director at Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Zoi Maroudas-Tziolas who is the creator of Anchorage’s Bambino’s Baby Food and Maya Wilson who is the author of Alaska from Scratch Cookbook and the future chef of Soldotna restaurant Addie Camp Train Car Eatery and Wine Bar.

The festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday at Soldotna Creek Park.

More in News

A table used by parties to a case sits empty in Courtroom 4 of the Kenai Courthouse in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Nikiski woman sentenced to 4 years in prison for 2023 drug death

Lawana Barker was sentenced for her role in the 2023 death of Michael Rodgers.

Alaska State Troopers logo.
Seward resident arrested after Monday night police pursuit

Troopers say she led them on a high-speed chase on Kalifornsky Beach Road for around 7 miles.

Concert-goers listen to The Discopians at Concert on the Lawn on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at Karen Hornaday Park in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
‘Dancing at the end of the world’

KBBI AM 890 hosted their annual Concert on the Lawn Saturday.

Lisa Gabriel unfurls a set beach seine during a test fishery for the gear near Clam Gulch, Alaska, on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Seine test fishery continues after board of fish calls for more data

The east side setnet fishery has been entirely closed in recent years to protect Kenai River king salmon

Jason Criss stands for a photo in Soldotna, Alaska, after being named a qualifier for the Special Olympics USA Games on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna athlete to compete in 2026 Special Olympics USA Games

Thousands of athletes from across all 50 states will be competing in 16 sports.

The entrance to the Homer Electric Association office is seen here in Kenai, Alaska on May 7, 2020. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
HEA opens bids for real property

The deadline to submit bids is 5 p.m. on Aug. 11.

Arturo Mondragon-Lopez, Jr. (right) attends a change of plea hearing related to the October 2023 fatal shooting of Brianna Hetrick on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, at the Homer Courthouse in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Mondragon-Lopez sentenced for death of Homer woman

Arturo Mondragon-Lopez, Jr. accepted a plea deal in February for the shooting of Brianna Hetrick.

Soldotna City Hall is seen on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna OKs $395,000 capital plan

This year’s list of capital projects is “nominal compared to some past years,” according to officials.

A map of areas proposed for annexation by the City of Soldotna. (Provided by City of Soldotna)
Soldotna adds annexation proposal to ballot

The proposed annexation is split across five small areas around the city.

Most Read

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

Peninsula Clarion relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in