When it comes to dressing for dinner, this event leans more toward farm-wear than formal attire — although either is entirely acceptable.
Langley’s Gumboot Gala returns Aug. 18, with a long table dinner under the stars.
This year’s fundraiser in support of the Langley Community Farmers Market has moved to a new location. Gala-goers will dine al fresco at Central Park Farms, where host Kendall Ballantine will welcome guests to her 40-acre farm is nestled between Campbell Valley Park and the Irene Pearce Trail in south Langley.
Ballantine is a vendor at the Langley Community Farmers Market and also a board member of the Langley Community Farmers’ Market Society, the non-profit society that operates the market.
She is happy to have the chance to host the gala this year.
“As both a vendor and a volunteer director, I am keenly aware of the impact that the Langley Community Farmers Market has on our community, and I am delighted that the gala will take place on a farm. It helps forge a stronger connection between producers and consumers,” said Ballantine.
This is the third year for the gala, and the date for this year’s feast coincides with Langley Eats Local, which promotes the wealth of local growers and producers in the community.
While the date and the venue have changed, the roots of the gala remain intact. Guests will be treated to a farm-to-table buffet created by Chef Adrian Beaty of Food From the Farm. Many of the ingredients will be donated by vendors from the market.
“Linking vendors who grow, bake and make local products with our residents is vital to supporting sustainability and food security in the Langleys,” says Paige Dampier, president of the LCFMS board of directors and also a vendor at the market. “The gala celebrates that connection, while at the same time raising awareness of all the good the market does in our communities.”
That includes the Nutrition Coupon Program, which supports lower income families in the Langleys and the Food Recovery Program, which ensures that unsold food from the market is redirected to local charities.
This has been a year of expansion for the Langley Community Farmers Market, which now hosts two markets a week.
The original market continues at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Langley campus every Wednesday from noon to 4:30 p.m. The Saturday market runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside Timms Community Centre. Visit lcfm.ca for details.
The Gumboot Gala will be held on Aug. 18, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Central Park Farms, 527 224 St.
Tickets are $75 per person and include the buffet dinner and one local glass of beer, wine or cider. A cash bar will be available.
The event features dancing with the Cole Peterson Band, a 50/50 draw and a gumboot draw. Guests are invited to dress up if they like, or come clad in their denim best. Gumboots, while optional, are encouraged.
Tickets are available through Eventbrite.
They can also be purchased at the market.
