SPOTLIGHT

Photo by Jonathan Asher

BY ZOLA CROWDER

After a summer where many were just trying to make it through the heat and humidity, the idea of spending more time outside can seem unfathomable. But that all changes when the page turns to fall.

And there’s no better opportunity to enjoy some time outdoors along with food and games than at the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture’s 13th Annual Harvest Hootenanny.

From 4-9 p.m. Sept. 24 at Columbia’s Agriculture Park, attendees will have a chance to enjoy food, drinks, live music, a petting zoo, garden tours, carnival games and more. Some of the planned activities include mega Jenga, cornhole and a duck pond.

Meals will be prepared by the Columbia Area Career Center’s culinary arts students using local, fresh ingredients, with alcoholic beverages provided by area distributors, including Broadway Brewery and St. James Winery.

Raffle prizes will be available and include goodies from local organizations and farms, and even a Yeti cooler filled with beer from Logboat Brewing Co.

Lexi Linsenman, development manager for CCUA, says the best part of this event is showing off what Columbia has to offer. Plus, she says, it’s a wonderful place to make a memory. “The Hootenanny provides a place for people throughout the community to sit down together, share a meal, talk and make lasting memories,” Linsenman says.

CCUA runs several programs to provide a variety of fruits and vegetables directly to people who need it in the community. It also has opportunities for people of all ages to develop skills including gardening and cooking. For anyone who needs a nudge to get out and about, all the proceeds from the Hootenanny will support CCUA in helping feed and educate the community.

The event is free to attend, but tickets are needed for the carnival games, raffles and to enjoy food and drinks. Tickets are $6 each or a 10-pack for $55. (The organization recommends estimating about three to five tickets needed per person.) There also will be an option to purchase a to-go meal for a family of four for $50. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit columbiaurbanag.org.

In case of inclement weather, Linsenman says the event will go on by using the shelter at the Farmer’s Market Pavilion as well as large tents set up by the music and beer garden.

Annual Harvest Hootenanny

1769 W. Ash St. Columbia’s Agriculture Park

4-9 p.m. Sept. 24

FREE to attend; tickets needed for food, drinks and entertainment

columbiaurbanag.org