Belmont's Harvest Moon Fall Supper Brings Back a Community Tradition

Now in its third year, Belmont's Harvest Moon Fall Supper continues to draw hundreds of people for a homemade meal and a night of community connection.

When the Belmont Music in the Park committee decided to bring back a fall supper to Belmont after several years without one, they weren't sure exactly how the community would respond...

They didn't have to wait long to find out.

The supper was an immediate success, drawing large crowds from its first year.

Now in its third year, the event has become an annual September tradition, with nearly 325 people attending last year.

Vicki Gillingham has been involved with the supper since it returned and remembers how the idea came together.

Belmont had not held a fall supper for years, and the COVID-19 pandemic had put a stop to many community gatherings.

One of the committee members suggested bringing the tradition back as a fundraiser for Music in the Park. And it was on!

The first supper was held on the weekend of the Harvest Moon, which led to its original name, the Harvest Moon Fall Supper.

The response confirmed there was still an appetite for the tradition.

Homemade Food

The menu is straightforward and familiar: turkey and stuffing, potatoes and gravy, homemade sweet and sour meatballs, homemade cranberry sauce, buns, vegetables, salads, coleslaw, tea, coffee and homemade desserts.

The homemade food is a major part of the appeal.

“People just love fall suppers and all that homemade food,” Gillingham said. “There’s just no two ways about it.”

She remembers one attendee specifically commenting on the homemade stuffing. The cranberry sauce, meatballs and desserts are also among the items people look forward to.

The meal is made possible in part by contributions from community members, who are asked to bring cooked vegetables and desserts.

Volunteers also help prepare and serve the supper.

About 20 volunteers typically work at the event, in addition to the four or five committee members who organize and prepare the supper.

A Growing Crowd

Attendance has increased since the first supper, with Gillingham estimating that the event has grown by approximately 50 to 75 people.

The first sitting can accommodate about 260 people, but the crowds have continued to grow. Last year, attendance was close to 325.

The lineups have not seemed to discourage people from coming.

“They don’t seem to be worried that they have to stand in line and wait,” Gillingham said.

For many, the wait is part of an evening spent visiting with neighbours, friends and family.

Gillingham said seeing so many people come out makes the work worthwhile.

A Community Effort

The Fall Supper is also an example of the volunteer effort behind Music in the Park.

The committee organizes the event, while other community members contribute food and their time. The result is a supper that depends on people working together.

The event has also developed a connection to the area's farming community. Some farm families pick up takeout meals and bring them out to the field during harvest.

The Fall Supper was created as a fundraiser for Music in the Park, but its success has shown that people were also ready to bring back a tradition they had missed.

Three years later, the crowds continue to come...

And the menu remains much the same: turkey, stuffing, homemade meatballs, cranberry sauce, desserts and plenty of familiar faces.

More Than a Fundraiser

The Fall Supper began as a fundraiser to help support Music in the Park, which has continued to grow each year.

But it has become an event that people look forward to.

For some, it is the homemade food. For others, it is seeing neighbours and friends or taking part in a tradition that had been missing from the community for years.

The continued turnout has shown that there was still a place for a fall supper in Belmont.

This Year's Harvest Moon Fall Supper

The Belmont Fall Supper returns on Sunday, September 20, from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. at Belmont Hall in Belmont, Manitoba.

This year's supper will feature the homemade turkey dinner, meatballs, stuffing and other traditional favourites that have made the event so popular.

Adults are $25, children ages 6 to 12 are $10, and children five and under are free. A gluten-free option is available.

Takeout meals can be pre-registered by calling or texting Vicki at 204-471-6735 by noon on September 20.

Takeout pickup will be at the Drop In Centre between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. Requests received after noon will be self-filled at the hall.

A 50/50 draw will also be held, with proceeds going to Music in the Park.

Three years after bringing the tradition back, the Music in the Park committee is looking forward to another full hall, another homemade meal and another Fall Supper in Belmont.

This article was written with information and firsthand memories shared by Vicki Gillingham, who has been involved with the Belmont Fall Supper since its return. Thank you to Vicki for taking the time to share her experience and perspective on this community tradition.