PEOPLE & PLACES
1 Local artist Rebekah Evans designed this year’s PepperFest poster.
Pick a Peck PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNA-RHESA VERSOLA
On a picture-perfect Sunday, close to 1,000 people enjoyed samples of pepper-themed dishes, desserts and drinks at the 14th annual PepperFest. The celebration of sustainable agriculture, local farmers and the creativity of regional chefs was held on Sept. 19 at The Plant, a 16-acre former biodiesel manufacturing site on Lorax Lane in Pittsboro. Festival-goers enjoyed live music from Colin Cutler and Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba in addition to the many varieties of locally grown sweet, hot and smoky peppers. Performers from Imagine Circus entertained the crowd, who were assembled in safely distanced circles painted on the grassy meadow. CM
2 Ches Stewart of Haw River Mushrooms pushes his 5-year-old daughter, Ella Stewart, on the swing. 3 A table display of bowls filled with different pepper varieties grown at Heart Song Farm. 4 Catherine Hobbs and Tami Schwerin. 5 Tree climbers Winter Donny-Clark, 9, and Aki Donny-Clark, 14, enjoy their perch as Thorfinn Donny-Clark, 7, looks up at his sisters. 6 Local musician Diali Cissokho.
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7 Elijah Downs, Anisah Suraleigh, Aliyya Suraleigh, Kenny Downs and Liala Suraleigh.
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8 Sarah Zelasky and Dylan Bruney. 9 Jyotsna Garg with her nephews, Arin Shah, 9, and Roshan Shah, 4. 10 Rodney Medley of Beehive Yourself gives a pepper-infused honey sample to a PepperFest attendee. 11 Susan Fowler, Kathleen Hunter and Jane Stolper.
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CHATHAM MAGAZINE
WINTER 2021-2022