Celebrate Local Food and Community at the Sooke Harvest Festival

Celebrate the bounty of the season and the people who help grow, produce and strengthen local food in the Sooke region at the Sooke Harvest Festival, taking place Sunday, September 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sunriver Community Orchard, 2380 Phillips Road. 

Hosted by the Sooke Region Food CHI Society, the free, family-friendly festival celebrates Sooke’s agricultural heritage and harvest season while bringing together local farmers, food producers, artisans, community organizations and residents. While the event is free, donations to Sooke Region Food CHI are welcome. 

“Harvest Festival is a chance to celebrate not only what is grown here, but the people, knowledge and connections that make a strong local food system possible,” said Ellen Lewers, President of Sooke Region Food CHI Society. “When people meet local growers, learn where their food comes from and discover ways they can grow or support local food themselves, we are building greater food security and resilience as a community.” 

The festival traditionally welcomes hundreds of people and showcases approximately 30 local farmers, food producers, artisans and small businesses. Festival programming includes local vendors, food demonstrations, educational displays, children’s activities, live entertainment and opportunities to learn more about food security, gardening, sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship. 

Sooke Region Food CHI works to build a vibrant and sustainable regional food system by supporting local food production, sharing food-growing knowledge and creating opportunities for residents, producers and consumers to connect. 

Donations collected at the Sooke Food CHI table support the volunteer-driven organization’s work with farmers, backyard growers and community gardeners to strengthen local agricultural and food systems. 

Parking at the Sunriver Community Orchard is limited. Attendees are encouraged to carpool, walk, roll or use other alternative transportation where possible. Additional parking is available nearby at Ravens Ridge Park, 2430 Phillips Road, approximately a five-minute walk from the orchard. 

For more information about the Sooke Harvest Festival and Sooke Region Food CHI, visit the Sooke Region Food CHI website.