CRAIGEND - Dancing, mingling and delicious homemade perogies will be on offer at the Craigend Harvest Dinner on Nov. 30.
Molly Fyten, a member of the Craigend Recreation and Agricultural Society, and one of the organizing group for the annual dinner and dance, says that the popular event not only serves as one of the community’s biggest annual fundraisers, but also gives people from the area a chance to come out and socialize, enjoy amazing homecooked food, listen to some great live music, and even dance.
“And of course, as the name eludes, it was traditionally intended to mark the end of the harvest season for our local farmers, and to give them a relaxing night out to celebrate their success,” Fyten told Lakeland This Week.
She continued by saying that for this year’s dinner and dance, doors open at 5:30 p.m. while the dinner starts at six. A dance will follow featuring the sounds of the band ‘Southern Cross’.
Homemade
The dinner is a considerable draw each year, due in large part to the appetizing perogies that are served as part of it. According to Fyten, Gina Beniuk, a local community member, makes the perogy dough used for creating the popular dish. More local hands get together to ‘pinch’ the perogies, which means stuffing them with a potato and cheddar filling, then folding and sealing them together. The perogies, she added, are made ahead of time and frozen, and then prepared fresh the evening of the event.
“Craigend really has become famous for this perogy dinner,” she said. “We get a very large crowd to this event, often close to 150 to 200 people.”
Fyten says that organizers ensure that door prices are kept very affordable so that families and people of all ages can come and enjoy it.
“Sometimes we get sponsorship for the event from Lac La Biche County, and we also often hire local community groups to help us with the bartending and clean up.”
While the harvest dinner and dance, which started as a regular event in 2016, is a major fundraiser for the Craigend Recreation and Agricultural Society, the volunteer group also puts on annual BBQ and other events throughout the year.
Tickets for the harvest night are $30/person (adult), ages 6-10 are $10, while those five years of age and younger get into the event free of charge. Tickets are available at the door. Those who have questions about the event can contact Fyten, at (780) 404-7740.