Harvest Celebration Commemorates From Slavery to Freedom Garden

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s Harvest Celebration on Friday, September 15th commemorated the first season of plantings in the From Slavery to Freedom Garden at the Frick Environmental Center. The new, beautifully curated planting space is an extension of the From Slavery to Freedom Exhibit at the Heinz History Center. The garden highlights plants that sustained black Americans as they made their way North seeking sovereignty.

The garden is now open to the public and programs that center around the garden and its plantings will be carried out by Parks Conservancy educators. More than one hundred attendees including Vivian & Bill Benter, Debby & Dan Booker, Dawn & Christopher Fleischner and Latasha & Charlie Batch took part in The Harvest Celebration that included a strolling dinner by local chefs who generously donated their time. Chefs included Bill Fuller of Big Burrito; Claude Pierre, Executive Chef at Savoy; Chaz Smith, chef and owner of The Culinary Artist Private Chef Services; Sugar Elisa Brown & Christina Decker, chefs and owners of Thyme, A Modern Cookery; and Amanda Sougouna, chef and owner of Le Petit Chocolat and Café. Each chef featured unique preparations of plants being grown in the garden. The Harvest Celebration raised funds to support Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s education programs.