In an empty lot right beside the Canadian Museum of Civilization, rows upon rows of tables were set up before 750 people, decked out in their best black formal wear, sat down for Harvest Noir Oct. 15.
Harvest Noir is a flash mob picnic that serves as a modern day revival of the celebration of the autumn harvest. Since people only discovered the location a few hours before the event, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But by all accounts, Ottawa’s first Harvest Noir was a success.
When I got the invitation from a friend, I was excited — an event in Ottawa where we could dress up, eat great local food, watch a Cirque-like performance and dance the night away? I signed up right away.
But as the day approached, my excitement turned to anxiety. I forgot this was Ottawa after all: a city ranked as one of the worst-dressed in the world and void of culture.
Thankfully, the worries went unwarranted. The event went off without a hitch and I had the most fun that I’ve had in years.
I was stunned right away by how well dressed people were. All participants were asked to dress in their best black clothes. Women wore elegant black dresses and men sported dapper suits and blazers. Ottawans do have a sartorial flair.
Guests were also asked to prepare dishes using locally harvested seasonal food. I joined other partygoers and chowed down. I was fortunate since I still live at home and my parents normally buy food from farmer markets or locally when possible. I brought chicken served with tomato sauce, sautéed vegetables and rice.
My friends brought an Indian-Italian fusion of pasta with a cream sauce and curry and a baguette and garden salad complete with vegetables from her aunt’s garden. You can’t get more local than that. Everything was delicious and the curry pasta provided quite the punch to our meal.
With only a few drizzles, we lucked out with the weather. The atmosphere couldn’t have been better. A few musicians even broke out into a spontaneous jam session in the middle of the picnic.
As the evening wore on, we moved inside the museum, where the rest of the festivities took place. The night began with an acrobatics show by Cirque performers, which was followed by a fashion show where young and old were invited to strut their stuff.
The night ended with a bang, as everyone danced the night away to tunes ranging from oldies to top 40 hits.
This night was one that won’t be forgotten and with the success of Harvest Noir, it will surely become a mainstay attraction of the social calendar in Ottawa for years to come.
— William Greenwood
fourth-year bioinformatics
