Sukkot Farm-to-Table Festival Draws Crowd Despite Rain

Around 300 people attended the first annual Sukkot farm-to-table festival Oct. 8 at the Atlanta JCC.

By Rachel Fayne October 20, 2017, 1:33 pm Edit

Rachel is a reporter/contributor for the AJT and graduated from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. After post graduate work at Columbia University, she teaches writing at Georgia State and hosts/produces cable programming. She can currently be seen on Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters.

Atlantans came to the Marcus Jewish Community Center by the hundreds for the Sukkot Farm-to-Table Festival despite rain related to the remnants of Hurricane Nate on Sunday, Oct. 8.

The vendors kept selling their products, and the cooking demonstrations continued, while activities for children and families were moved to pavilions.

About half the scheduled 600 people attended, but many vendors still saw a surge in sales. Yalla and Souper Jenny were among the first food vendors to sell out, and the Keith’s Corner BBQ food truck was one of the last to leave with only a few items left.

The Cohen Brothers Band entertain festival attendees.

Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge and Atlanta’s Alumna Farm had booths near the cooking demonstrations throughout the festival. The culinary director of PeachDish, Seth Freedman, cooked for the crowd, and Kimball House’s Alex Lampert demonstrated her pastry-making skills.

Book Club’s lead singer, Robbie Horlick, provided music for the first part of the festival, and Atlanta’s Cohen Brothers Band played bluegrass to close out the music for the afternoon.

Children’s activities included a petting zoo provided by Ivy Rose Farm, art tables and games, as well as a singalong, an all-ages garden planting and the Ladybug Events Garden Variety Show.

JCC Rabbi Brian Glusman, who helped organize the event, was energized by the community celebration and expressed excitement about continuing the festival in future years. “The Farm-to-Table Festival is the perfect way to celebrate Sukkot,” he said. “Sukkot is a holiday that focuses on the harvest and gratitude, and a program like this brings the community together in celebration of this concept.”