Harvest Fest: Songs, stories, speakers and more at new Falkland Estate event

Falkland Estate’ new Harvest Fest gets underway this weekend.
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It celebrates rural skills as well as songs and stories around the campfire, and a number of guest speakers.

And there will be a chance to see the huts which have been built in a field of learning;

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The new event, on Saturday (September 24), comes a decade after the estate hosted the hugely successful Big Tent festival which emerged out of the G8 summit at Gleneagles.

Harvest Fest takes place this weekendHarvest Fest takes place this weekend
Harvest Fest takes place this weekend

And it will even have its own ‘Big Tent.’

Now it is going back to nature with a new event which is open to all.

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There will be demonstrations and hands-on practice of traditional crafts such as apple-pressing, woodwork and handloom weaving.

You can see huts which have been built in a field of learning;You can see huts which have been built in a field of learning;
You can see huts which have been built in a field of learning;

Market stalls will sell produce from Falkland Estate and local farms and gardens,plus items from Scottish furniture makers, hut builders and saw-millers.

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The ‘Big Tent’ will feature a series of talks from author and broadcaster Lesley Riddoch, along with Jenny Andersson of the Really Regenerative Centre, Andrew Whitley of Scotland the Bread, Professor Seaton Baxter OBE a master of natural design, and Guy Watt, co-chair of the Scottish Forest Industry Group.

They will reflect on what’s happening now and how we can learn to live more sustainably in our local places, in ways that meet people’s real costs of living and value the gifts of nature.

The event features speakers plus songs and stories round the campfireThe event features speakers plus songs and stories round the campfire
The event features speakers plus songs and stories round the campfire

Visitors can meet with the hutters and hut builders, as well as hear from local businesses on the goods they are creating, and there are endless opportunities to play and learn in a field and forest of possibility.

There will be also demonstrations and hands-on practice of traditional crafts such as apple-pressing, woodwork and handloom weaving. Market stalls will sell Falkland Estate produce: produce from local farms and gardens, items from Scottish furniture makers, hut builders and saw-millers.

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Harvest Fest will also showcase ideas of local children for the future of the estate.

You can view the Honeycomb Mural created by child “imagineers” who drew up some inspiring ideas, such as a book-reading swing and a treetop market.

It stemmed from a programme supported by Inspiring Scotland in which teams from the Children’s Parliament worked with local children and asked them what they would do with the estate if they owned it.

Other fun events on the day include apple games and a harvest-themed treasure collection for children, where they will collect items from the woodland to complete the treasure set.

And there is a competition for the best harvest-themed hat.

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The competition, open to both adults and children, will be judged by children’s entertainer Mrs. Mash the Storytelling Cook.

She will be looking for original and colourful headgear that best celebrates the season, using autumn leaves, berries, vegetable trimmings and so on. You can decorate an existing hat or make one from cardboard or newspaper.

Children can attend for free; adult tickets are £20 full price and £10 for concession or low-income visitors. Attendees are welcome to bring a packed lunch, but they can also pre-order a summer salad box offered by Falkland Kitchen Farm.

Overnight camping pitches are available.

For more information and tickets visit https://falklandestate.co.uk/