This morning's gratitude is an inside job! Festivals happen because of volunteers - lots of them. They put their heart, time, energy and sweat (especially this year!) into doing a million things to make sure festival guests are comfortable, safe and have a great time. The work begins days before the Main Stage opens and continues for days afterwards. A loving army of helping hands!
And, they must be well taken care of as well. Our Saturday Performer/Volunteer Dinner planned and prepared by our longtime beloved “Food Czar” Chris Nicholson has long been the stuff of legend, and this year was no different. Chris himself is at the end of the line carefully slicing a beautiful steamship round. And that amazing repast nourishes somewhere on the order of 60 to 70 hard-working folks who take a few minutes to sit and break bread together, and then get back to the work and music of Mountville. Chris makes sure there is always something delicious for the vegetarians, vegans and those avoiding various food allergies too.
Friday meal is usually a relaxed, take-a-break-from-setting-up affair, typically a bit of pot luck plus Rich and Dana's delicious smoked pork BBQ. But this year Friday night meant showtime at Mountville! So our crew had only a little time to grab and go before kicking the Main Stage off at 6pm. Thankfully we are rich in capable cooking and organizing hands! Susan Giblin took the lead putting out early dinner with fabulous Carolina BBQ prepared by Todd & Alberta Alston plus her delectable side dishes (and Lisa Taylor's cucumber-tomato-feta salad, in addition to the million other Mountville things she does onstage and off).
A two-day Mountville means not just having a Friday meal, but Thursday as well to feed 30 or so hard-working volunteers setting up the festival grounds and stage. Thursday this year coincided with Dana's milestone birthday, so Michelle McKnight took the lead with five pans of her delicious signature homemade lasagna and salad.
We did not suffer a lack of sugar and chocolate either! Ace Wilkinson & Charlie Matulewicz made big batches of brownies for Friday dessert (and Saturday breakfast). Elizabeth Simmons provided chocolate cake Saturday in addition to Sue's annual “Dana's Birthday Chocolate Cake.”
By Sunday morning we're all exhausted, but pancake breakfast for all the campers and tear-down helpers is a long-standing Mountville tradition too. For that we are ever grateful to our beloved “Pancake Sisters”; Amy Brand and Betsy Dake, and the “Plus” contingent of honorary sisters Karin Franklin, Ilene Freedman, and all of the other early risers helping to put it all out on the table for us.
Needlessly to say, we work hard but we eat top-shelf during Mountville! To Chris, Susan, and Michelle for organizing and leading incredible meals, the Pancake Sisters Plus for putting fuel enough in our depleted engines to manage the tear down, and to Leslie, Paula and all of the MANY helping hands who did all of the things to get delicious meals made and on the table and cleaned up afterwards - a huge hearty thanks and bless your good hearts!
It is certainly true that making food for people is an act of love, and the whole Mountville crew is well-loved because we are well fed. Thanks everyone so much!