Category: In The Neighborhood

To highlight happenings in the neighborhood, contiguous to Festival Beach Community Garden.

UT and St. Edwards-APO Volunteers Brighten FBCG – April 18, 2015

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The University of Texas and St. Edward’s Service Fraternity Alpha Phi Omega (APO), in concert with the Serafina Organization, helps at Festival Beach and then takes vegetables from the communal plot and supplements the RBJ pantry, next door. These valued volunteers weeded, composted and planted okra, peppers, watermelon, basil and squash. Hats off to APO!

Event: East Feast Launch Party-Saturday, January 31

We are ready to launch!

On August 28th, 2014, the city council unanimously approved the first phase of The Festival Beach Food Forest- WHOOT! We will start the pilot on 2/3rd of an acre but ultimately it will grow to a 2-acre fence-free edible Eden on our public park land, where all are welcome to learn about food forestry and experience the beauty of an edible oasis in the heart of Austin.  In celebration of our groundbreaking, we are hosting a KICK OFF BENEFIT PARTY, here’s the details: Festival Beach Food Forest Launch Party Where: YardFarm, 7204 Shelton Road, Austin, TX 78725 Date: January 31st, 2015  Time: 4pm-11pm  This family-friendly event offers fun for all. The Festival Beach Food Forest will also be honored with a generous financial gift from Les Dames D’Escoffier. How exciting is that?!

Pie Walk and other activities

There will be a deliciously decadent Pie Showcase including a Pie Auction and Pie Walk with featured pies from community partners. If you’d like to contribute a Pie and/or your group would like a table at the event please get in touch! Throughout the day and evening there will be community leaders speaking about the benefits of the food forest, fire spinners, a silent auction, plant-inspired activities, dancing and plenty of bonfires. Bring your s’more fixins!

Live Music line up and presentations: 

4:15  Full Moon Harvest

5:00  Honey Punch

5:45  Welcome & Food Forest Presentation

6:00  The Lost Pines

6:40  WireTree

7:15  HipHop Set – DJ MC, Super Smash Bros, DJ Pillow Helmet – 60 min

8:15  Local leader and Food Forest discussion

8:30  Los Texas Wranglers

9:15  Graham Wilkinson

10:10 Food Forest presentation

10:00 Minor Mishap Marching Band

Food and Drink 

Several local growers and farms are pulling together a feast with fresh veggies and other taco fixins’. Dessert from Little Lucy’s from 6-9pm and beverages by Meridian Hive, East Ciders, and Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

Silent Auction 

There will also be a silent auction with donations from local businesses such as Gold’s Gym, Compost Peddlers, Coffee Sock, Growler Domestic, Austin Beer Garden Brewery and more!

Donate now by purchasing a ticket!

To buy EARLY BIRD tickets for a donation of $20 (which includes food, drink and access to the event) go to:

http://fbff.brownpapertickets.com/

For more information find FBFF online:      https://www.facebook.com/EastFeast/events/facebook.com/eastfeast

Twitter: @eastfeast2022     http://festivalbeachfoodforest.weebly.com/contact.html

See you there!

Multicultural Refugee Coalition (MRC) – An Integral Part of FBCG

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Multicultural Refugee Coalition (MRC) is celebrating our 5th Anniversary as the only long-term support organization for refugees legally resettled to our Austin community. Each week at our North Lamar community center we facilitate a range of programs that empower refugees towards self-sufficiency by creating opportunities for educational, professional and personal growth. Find out more about all our programs at mrcaustin.org.

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The MRC New Leaf Agriculture Program seeks diverse opportunities to allow former occupational farmers to get their hands back in the dirt to feed their families and make delicious traditional meals with fresh produce! Our program began in 2010 through a partnership with Festival Beach Community Garden. Most Saturdays and throughout the week you can find our Bhutanese and Burundian gardeners providing loving attention to their plots, growing some interesting vegetables. Through the years, MRC gardeners and the Festival Beach garden community have shared knowledge, resources, meals at Solstice Potlucks, hugs and smiles and worked side-by-side at monthly garden workdays. Please stop by the southeast corner of the garden to say Hello!

Because of our success at Festival Beach, garden space is in high-demand within the refugee community. We are fortunate to have a new second garden space at Lanier High School that also provides chicken and honeybee raising. We have also partnered with Green Gate Farms through our Farm Link program to increase access to affordable produce and local growing knowledge. 11/11/14

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