Harvest Celebration

#AFestiveFeast: It was a picturesque night to host the inaugural Harvest Celebration at the new Frick Environmental Center in Squirrel Hill. A sold-out crowd of 150 guests came to support the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s education programs and to indulge their senses in the beautiful landscapes and strolling supper. The event drew some of the most prominent chefs in the city, including Charles “Chaz” Smith, Bill Fuller, Amanda Sougouna, Claudy Pierre, Sugar Elisa Brown and Christina Decker. One of the highlights was walking through the From Slavery to Freedom Garden, which is an extension of the “From Slavery to Freedom” exhibit” at the Heinz History Center in the Strip. “This garden is about equity. We wanted to invite people of color into the garden and have their stories be told through the use of a green space,” said Camila Rivera-Tinsley, parks director of education. The garden showcases plants that were representative of enslaved people making their way north and how their interactions with indigenous peoples would have affected the types of foods they ate. It’s a way to explore history in a new context, by connecting people back to the earth. If you haven’t been to the new environmental center, which opened a year ago, the view from the balcony is stunning this time of year!

#SEEN: Event co-chairs Bill and Vivian Benter, event co-chairs Chris and Dawn Fleischner; Don and Patsy McKinney, Richard Reed, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Meg Cheever, Robin and Dianne Nicholson, Lisa Freeman, Robert Young, Jacqueline Foradori, Chris and Jacquelyn Cynkar.