Harvest Bazaar feeds the flock

The annual Harvest Bazaar hosted by the Presbyterian church in Soda Springs was held over the weekend on its traditional early November spot on the calendar, with a busy morning and afternoon devoted to providing a full turkey meal for the community.  Both the in-person dining as well as the take-out operations at the church saw meal after meal being served up to a group that was hungry for delicious food as well as the company and support offered by those involved.

Dinner itself consisted of turkey, beans, mashed and sweet potatoes, dressing, pumpkin pie, and more.  Dinner was served “at-will” and those who donated very generously and those who donated their company all broke the same bread as they sat down to enjoy the convivial meal.

The annual event is conceived of as an ecumenical celebration, which is to say that while it is sponsored and hosted by the Presbyterian church, it is designed with the entire community involved.  In fact, members of the local Catholic church, Latter-day Saints wards, unaffiliated community volunteers, and many others were present.  

“Out there you’re going to see Mormons, and Baptists, and Catholics, and Presbyterians all sitting down together over a meal, just fellowshipping—just hanging out and being together,” said Pastor Nathan Sobers.  “And that to me is one of the biggest gifts of this event now.”

The event has a long history that goes right to the heart of the community, and one that is well-situated in its spot the week before Veterans Day.  “This is the 80th year they’ve done it,” Pastor Sobers said.  “They started it in ‘45 as a way of giving soldiers going off to war a taste of home before they left.  And over the years, it has really become woven into the life and the fabric of the community.”  Newspaper articles in the Caribou County Sun dutifully anticipate and then recount the yearly bazaar going back generations, and many of those who help volunteer for the morning also have fond memories of making their way to the church.

“Oh, I just love this every year!” one diner noted, to the nodding of her companions.  Much of the overheard conversation focused on the same subject.  While some years had been a little different due to external conditions (such as COVID, most recently), for the most part the Harvest Bazaar, with its attendant joys, is a predictable celebration in the most comforting way.  

But as an event open to everyone, there are also those who are visiting for their first time.  Toni Werk, who worships at the Presbyterian Church in Malad (which was built first but who’s counting? she teases) made her way over to Caribou County to see what the fuss was about.

“Well, this is wonderful,” Werk said.  “I’m glad I had room for all of it!”

In addition to food, a silent auction was held concurrent with the lunch, featuring a number of items, largely but nor exclusively holiday themed.  Handcrafted items, artwork, crafts, and other great present ideas were arrayed near the entrance.

A craft and creation table, along with Pastor Nathan Sobers, greeted visitors as they entered the church.  Both provided a warm welcome!

While the number of meals made, packaged, eaten, and delivered was not available at the time, the activity inside the dining area (and especially the kitchen) indicated that it was a substantial number.  The full turkey dinner spread was absolutely the right thing for a brisk but not cold early November morning, as the event season begins its shift to the more devotional.

Cindy, Peggy , and Joan were among the many volunteers at the church.

“To me, I’m really big on ecumenicalism anyway, as a pastor, and this is a primary example of what that can mean,” Sobers said.  “Again, a lot of these people have known each other all their lives.  But there have been times where some sectarian difference wouldn’t not have allowed for something like this.  For me, it’s not just about the food or raising the money.  For me, it’s about bringing the community together, and I wouldn’t be upset if we only got five bucks or whatever.  For me, it’s the sense of community that is most important about this.”

Sobers finds that gatherings of people can go a long way toward alleviating some of the distance that many feel in their lives today.  “In small towns where divisions and things that separate can sometimes get blown out of proportion, it can be easy to divide up.  And so things like the ecumenical Thanksgiving service and the Christmas service and some of the other things that we, and others do, are designed to break down some of those barriers.  This church has worked hard in general to build bridges throughout the different communities in town.  I would make a guess, looking at the dining room, that probably eighty percent of the people in there are not Presbyterians, which is great.”

Ecumenicism is essentially a belief in a shared project to expand the community of the faithful of all different stripes.  Sobers is gratified to see that trend in general, but of course specifically glad to see the continued health of his home congregation.  “I’ve been here for about four years, and we’ve grown quite a bit in that time.  A lot of the folks grew up in this church and were away for a variety of reasons.  But now a lot of them are coming back, and that’s been great.”

In a related note, a Free Community Thanksgiving Dinner will be held on Thanksgiving, November 27 at the Caribou County Senior Center from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.  Organizers ask that those requesting take-out meals contact Jim McCulloch at (208) 681-1832 for more information.  Those interested in volunteering or donating to the cause can use the same contact number.