In the Field

Homegrown Harvest Festival

The Best of Virginia Cuisine, Music, and Community

Homegrown Harvest Festival Logo

Hubs PeanutsCommune Restaurant and River Road Farm are thrilled to announce a new two-day festival on October 7-8 highlighting the best of Virginia cuisine, music and community. The Homegrown Harvest Festival will benefit Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore and The CROP Foundation to further their missions and create new opportunities for student involvement with the Foodbank’s new Western Tidewater Branch in Franklin. 

According to Feeding America’s most recent food insecurity data, one out of every 13 Virginia residents lack consistent access to enough food to live an active, healthy life. Out of those 658,470 people facing hunger, 182,170 are children. The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore works to eliminate hunger among children and adults in the community through their Mobile Pantry, Kids Cafe and BackPack Programs and by partnering with schools, soup kitchens, food pantries and emergency shelters to distribute food to those in need. The CROP Foundation creates opportunities and resources for local youth interested in pursuing culinary, agriculture and closely related fields to foster a new food-conscious and food-passionate generation. By supporting both of these organizations, Virginia is on the road to being a healthier, more sustainable and culinary-rich state.

“At the core of Homegrown Harvest is our love and concern for the community we’re so deeply a part of, ” says Marshall Rabil, Hubs Peanuts director of sales and marketing. “Bringing together locals and visitors to celebrate the bounty Virginia has to offer while raising funds, awareness and physical support to tackle hunger and provide culinary experiences for students is immensely meaningful to us.”

Food featured during the festival will be handcrafted by the area’s best chefs, including Harper Bradshaw from Harper’s Table in Suffolk, Kip Poole, who was on HBO’s The Big Brunch and runs the CROP foundation, and Sedley native and experienced chef Nic Hagen, as well as select out-of-town guest chefs like Walter Bundy, owner and chef at Shagbark in Richmond, Chef Sarah Betcher, of Zoe’s Steak and Seafood, and Chef Willson Craigie, owner and executive chef of Commune. Captain Chris Ludford from Pleasure House Oysters will serve Lynnhaven’s best oysters and provide education on sustainable aquaculture.

Beverage providers include Michael Shaps WineworksCirrus VodkaCrunchy Hydration Barboursville VineyardsWilliamsburg WinerySmartmouth Brewing Co.Backpocket Provisions and Ragged Branch Distillery.

Student volunteers from the two local high school culinary programs will help bring the event to life with assistance from chefs and mentors from the Hubs, Commune and River Road Farms teams. 

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The event schedule is as follows: 

Saturday, October 7

Opening Kickoff Fish + Chicken Fry 
10:30 am – 1:30 pm
Blackwater Park, 1716 N. High Street, Franklin, Virginia 23851
$50 per person    

Guests can expect fried chicken and fish from David Rabil and Elisha Barnes with fixings. There will be live music from bluegrass band Common Ground and hiking around the park. 

The Harvest Reception
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
The Hubs Vine, 1459 Armory Drive, Franklin, Virginia 23851
$100 per person

Featuring the best of Virginia cuisine with multiple food stations and passed bites as well as wine, beer and cocktails with live music from some of the area’s best. 

Sunday, October 8 

Franklin Rising Brunch
10 am – 12:30 pm
River Road Farm, 1300 N High Street, Franklin, Virginia 23851
$100 per person

For those interested, there will be a group kayak paddle to the venue leaving at 9 a.m. from Barrett’s Landing in Franklin. Kayaks can be rented through Blackwater Outfitters and Nottoway River Guides or guests can bring their own. The brunch will feature a seated three-course open fire meal with specialty cocktails and music by  South Hill Banks. Tickets include entry to Music in the Country.

Music in the Country
1 pm – 5 pm
River Road Farm
$35 per person

Guests can look forward to a family-friendly event with local food trucks, provisions from Moontide Sundries, and live music from Boston-based Couch with opening act Holy Roller from Richmond.

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All-inclusive weekend tickets are $225 per person. All tickets can be purchased HERE and include food, drinks and access to live music. 

  • location

    Franklin, Virginia
  • date:

    October 07, 2023 – October 08, 2023
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