Harvest Moon Festival returning to Clearwater

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This article was published 07/07/2022 (1399 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The musical notes of the Harvest Moon Festival will be reaching a crescendo in Clearwater this September.

The festival will return to Clearwater for an in-person gathering on Sept. 16-18, with a live-streaming option also available.

Musicians featured at the festival include Kris Ulrich, Jérémie and The Delicious Hounds, Cassidy Mann, The Haileys, Georgia Harmer, The Sunshine Bunch, Katie Tupper, Jacob Brodovsky, Those Folks, FOWLER, Ego Spank, Superfun, Mason and Taylor Weselowski.

Dustin Mymko, co-ordinator for Harvest Moon Society, described the Harvest Moon Festival as a “made in Manitoba” event focusing on local artistry, food and vendors. For 21 years, the festival has served as a bridge between urban and rural communities and has directly supported local initiatives like the Harvest Moon Society.

The workshops included in the event are key to the ongoing celebration of culture and present opportunities for attendees to develop new skills, connect directly with farmers and build community.

“Everything that we stand for is locally based.”

The festival is organized by the Harvest Moon Festival board, an organization separate from the Harvest Moon Society. Mymko said they have shared values and work as sister organizations, but are separate entities. The volunteer groups work in tandem to bring the Harvest Moon Festival, with the society running the learning centre year-round and planning the workshops for the festival.

“The festival group themselves, I got to witness them in action for the first-hand last year and they are like a well-oiled machine who have been at this for a long time,” Mymko said.

The festival and the Harvest Moon Society are volunteer-led. These dedicated volunteers capture the spirit of the event, he added, because volunteerism and community go “hand-in-hand.”

Mymko is looking forward to the 2022 season and the workshops being held and organized by the Harvest Moon Society and Education Committee.

The workshops this year include: Low Carbon Wardrobe with Big Oak Farm, an Ages Blacksmithing Demo, Residential School History and Reconciliation with Steven Greyeyes, education co-ordinator at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation in Winnipeg, Real Talk from the Farm with Luna Field Farm, Learn to Die with Quinn Hunter, licensed funeral director, and Pam Cavers, death doula and Reading Regeneration on the Landscape with Dana Penrice and Bronwyn Green of Holistic Management Canada.

The workshops are education-based and skill-focused, Mymko said, while adhering to the core values of the Harvest Moon Society.

“We are really big on regenerative agriculture, sustainable development and environmental stewardship,” Mymko said. “We try and weave those through all of our workshops. Fighting the climate crisis is going to involve a lot of locally sourced items across the board and so it’s beneficial to us to keep those values close.”

The Harvest Moon Society has been built upon a foundation centred on community and camaraderie, he said. For more than two decades, events have evolved around getting together, sharing a meal and working in unity.

It is a grassroots and organic movement that has grown deep roots in the area.

The organization is dedicated to connecting rural and urban communities. From Mymko’s perspective, this means increased activity from urban folks in Clearwater year-round directly measures the success of the festival.

Events are held by the Harvest Moon Society throughout the calendar year, and they can tell they are having success based on increased interest from urban visitors and community connections growing after workshops, he said.

“Last year we really got the ball rolling and we’re hoping to build on that momentum this year.

“All of the work that has been done out here at the Harvest Moon Learning Centre has been done by that blueprint — people working together,” Mymko said. “It’s really quite inspiring.”

Work on the 2022 festival began almost as soon as the curtains dropped in September 2021. The society unpacked what they could contribute to fulfilling workshops that reach a wide demographic while still honouring the core values of the group.

When the snow began to melt, the Harvest Moon Society went full force on planning and showcasing a “snapshot” to Harvest Moon Festival attendees of what workshops are available year-round.

Reconciliation is a core value woven into the workshops, he added.

Last year the festival featured elder and historian David Scott from Swan Lake First Nation, who shared information on the history of the Indian Act.

“From that, we ran a series of truth and reconciliation conversations both here in Clear Water and we took folks to Swan Lake First Nation … to keep that momentum going to keep that conversation at the forefront.”

The society thoughtfully built on these experiences to ensure reconciliation is at the forefront of 2022 workshops, he added.

“Come here with an open mind and open heart and be prepared to involve yourself in the community. Community is at the core of what we do,” Mymko said. “Meet the people and explore the area.”

Harvest Moon Festival tickets are available July 19 at harvestmoonfestival.ca.

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