The Second Annual Harvest Festival in Madison brought together communities in a jubilant celebration of diversity and abundance. Held on Saturday, September 30, this remarkable event featured live music, dancing, storytelling, and captivating presentations by Prof. Menechella’s students from the Food Cultures of Italy First-Year Interest Group. They shared their profound knowledge of Italian food culture. The festival was also about getting hands-on and celebrating nature’s beauty, as attendees, in our second image, can be seen learning to make flower crowns.
The event, free and open to the public, featured a seed swap and cooking demonstrations to highlight the theme. In addition, the festival celebrated the ongoing Kitchen Garden Project, which has been spotlighting the crops, cuisines, and cultures of African American, Hmong, Indigenous, and Latinx partners. Attendees enjoyed the engaging UW students’ presentations experienced a captivating Italian Foodways demonstration by local chef Francesco Mangano and participated in hands-on activities such as making beautiful flower crowns.
The Harvest Festival was a successful event, thanks to the contributions of Prof. Menechella and her students, local chef Francesco Mangano, and the enthusiastic participants who made this festival memorable.