Upper Falls annual extravaganza, the Feast of the Falls went off without a hitch on Sunday night. 300 Upper Falls neighbors sat at one very, very long beautiful table for a delicious four course feast, prepared on site in a mobile kitchen in the woods of Hemlock Gorge.
This is the 6th time around the block for the combined Better Life Food/Dunn Gaherins kitchen crew so they were a well oiled machine.
Newly promoted Head VIP Server Mayor Ruthanne Fuller kicked off the festivities by ringing the giant dinner bell as the runners poured out of the kitchen with their platters.
This year the VIP Servers included State Rep Ruth Balser, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, City Councilors Deb Crossley, Andreae Downs, and Brenda Noel, Upper Falls Area Councillor Anil Adyanthaya, Julie Irish, Chamber of Commerce president Greg Reibman, and Newton Nomdic Theater founder Linda Goetz
The event is the creation of Seana Gaherins (Dunn Gaherins Restaurant) and Chris Osborn (Better Life Food). The entire event is free to residents of Upper Falls due to the generosity of Upper Falls businesses and dozens and dozens of neighborhood volunteers.
This years Feast featured a jazz pianist and vocalist, giant puppets welcoming guests as they crossed Echo Bridge, two Theremins (otherworldly musical instrument) handmade by local resident Evan Westrate, beautiful T shirts and posters designed by Upper Falls artists Shogun Curtis, and as always …. a delicious feast that slowly unfolded over the course of the evening.
Before the guests arrived
Guests arriving over Echo Bridge
The VIP Servers as they were about to get to work
The Feast table
Trying out Evan Westrate’s homemade Theremin
This was my first year and it was an amazing time. Such an impressive community and a fantastic event. I met some great people, had amazing food and a beautiful night under the trees.
@Jerry. Your fingerprints are all over this amazing event. Joanne and I had a wonderful time. We met and talked with long time friends as well as a number of people we were meeting for the first time. The food and music were outstanding and the giant puppets added a nice touch to the festivities. The servers from the City Council, School Committee, Chamber and elsewhere did yeoman work and it’s one night nobody can disagree with what they say or do. Seana Gaherin and Chris Osborne are the salt of the earth as are you and all the other folks from Upper Falls that have made this such a special summer event for the past 5 years. Upper Falls always has a warm and welcoming feel to it, but most so on this special night. I look forward to this every year. Thank you.
And it was nice seeing the mayor there talking with everyone and helping to serve the food.
Awesome! This looks very similar to the Méridienne verte Méridienne verte picnic that they had in France for Bastille Day, 2000. Except the people in Paris tended to wear tuxedos with berets; these pictures seem to indicate that the people in Newton wore tuxedos with shorts.
Chuck Tanowitz was an honored guest at last night’s Feast of the Falls. Both he and artist Wendy Wolf received “Friends of the Falls” awards for putting together the wonderful outside sculpture gallery along the Upper Falls Greenway.