BALE presents Stone Soup: A Harvest Celebration in So Ro!

BALE presents Stone Soup: A Harvest Celebration – Community Magic in a Cauldron!

In collaboration with the South Royalton Community Garden and Randy Leavitt, BALE (Building a Local Economy) invites the community to participate in an ancient recipe for abundance: the magical making of Stone Soup! This harvest celebration transforms donated vegetables into nourishment for 300+ neighbors through the power of sharing, storytelling, and a giant cauldron over an open wood fire.

BALE is seeking donations of fresh vegetables to fuel a community feast. Every carrot, onion, and leafy green becomes an ingredient in something much bigger than the sum of its parts. Drop off donations between Saturday, September 20th from 12pm-3pm at BALE (35 S Windsor St, S Royalton, VT).

On Sunday September 21st, from 10am-1pm, volunteers are needed to harvest potatoes at the  South Royalton Community Garden and/or join cauldron keeper Fiddlerjoebob aka Randy Leavitt for some fire tending, music making, veggie washing and chopping on the South Royalton Green, alongside the final Royalton Farmers Market of the season.

When the Royalton Farmers Market concludes at 1pm, BALE will present a free screening of short films from Campfire Stories about community and ecological resilience curated by Fledge Fest, and hosted by Evan Reiss of Fledgling Farmstead in Tunbridge,VT inside the Commons (35 S Windsor).

At 3pm step up and take your turn stirring the pot while the traditional European folktale of Stone Soup is brought to life through participatory storytelling for all ages, led by story teller and theater educator Kailie Larkin, concluding in a children’s parade around the green.

In the classic Stone Soup tale, weary travelers arrive in a village seeking food and shelter, only to be met with closed doors and claims of empty pantries. Undeterred, they begin making soup from a simple stone, and as curious villagers gather, each contributes “just a little something” – a carrot here, an onion there. What starts as stone and water transforms into a feast that feeds everyone, teaching the village (and us) that we have enough to go around when we all share.

Community members of all ages are invited to help stir the soup, feed the fire, and participate in bringing this timeless story to life.

At 4pm sharp, the feast begins – free soup for all!

“Stone Soup perfectly captures BALE’s mission,” says Executive Director Elena Greenlee. “It’s about discovering abundance through cooperation, turning individual contributions into collective nourishment, and remembering that community care creates the kind of magic no one can make alone.”

All Hands Needed: Whether you’re wielding a knife, feeding flames, or stirring the cauldron, every pair of hands makes the magic stronger. No cooking experience necessary – just bring your willingness to be part of something deliciously collaborative.

Where: BALE Commons & South Royalton Green, 35 S Windsor St, South Royalton VT 05068

When:

• Saturday 9/20: Vegetable donations 12pm-3pm at BALE (35 S Windsor St)

• Sunday 9/21: 10am potato harvest at South Royalton Community Garden & prep work concurrent with Farmers Market; 10am – soup cooking with  cauldron keeper Randy Leavitt; short film screenings @ BALE and storytelling on the green with Kailie Larkin, 4pm free community feast

What to Bring: Vegetables to donate Saturday, appetite and helping hands Sunday!

Details: https://www.balevt.org/events/2025/9/21/stone-soup-a-community-feast-harvest-celebration

Free community feast – no tickets necessary! All ages welcome:

Contact: Elena Greenlee at circle@balevt.org, 917.621.5190

Accessibility Note: The South Royalton Green is handicap accessible, the BALE Commons space is not handicap accessible.

Come for the soup, stay for the story, leave with the reminder that when we share what we have, there’s always enough to go around.

Photos Here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bhG0DxL9uXP8jdQ3ZPTKIwZF6ctyX9Lb?usp=sharing