A new long-table dinner at Keating Farm on Sept. 26 and an orchard-based craft cider festival at Merridale on Sept. 27 offer back-to-back ways to meet Vancouver Island’s growers, chefs and cider makers.
The Story
Late September is the season when Vancouver Island’s farms and orchards are front and centre, and this year the Cowichan Valley is offering a two-day food-and-drink weekend built around meeting the people behind the region’s products. The schedule runs Saturday, Sept. 26 and Sunday, Sept. 27, with a new harvest-themed dinner event launching on the 26th and an established cider festival returning on the 27th.
On Saturday, Harvest Table makes its debut at Keating Farm, located in the Cowichan Valley. The event is described as a way of bringing chefs, growers, fishers and farmers—people shaping Vancouver Island’s food scene—right to the table with attendees. Organizers position it as an effort to highlight relationships across the local food system, rather than focusing only on what’s on the plate.
Harvest Table is also framed as a celebration connected to Food Day Canada, which was founded by the late Anita Stewart. The event’s background notes that Stewart was a Canadian culinary figure recognized with the Order of Canada and known for championing local, seasonal ingredients long before “farm-to-table” became common restaurant language. Harvest Table is presented as honouring that legacy by spotlighting the regional network that brings food from farms and waters to community tables.
The Saturday programming includes two options for different schedules and budgets. A Daytime Celebration runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is aimed at families and visitors looking for a more relaxed outing. The daytime slate includes farm experiences and live music, along with a Community Harvest Meal prepared by culinary students from Vancouver Island University and North Island College.
The event also offers an evening Harvest Dinner from 5 to 9 p.m., which organizers describe as a five-course feast that is partially plated and partially family-style. This dinner includes pairing with producer storytelling, with the programme noting that the producers themselves share narratives during the meal. Tickets for the dinner are listed at $250 plus tax, and the price includes a welcome drink.
A detailed culinary lineup is presented for the Harvest Dinner. Culinary Team Canada is joining as guest chefs, with cooking alongside chef Ronald St. Pierre (noted as Canadian Culinary Federation Chef of the Year), chef Warren Barr of Pluvio, chef Oliver Kienast of Wild Mountain Dinners, chef Dan Shipley of Mensch Kitchen & Catering, and chef Fatima Da Silva of Nourish Cowichan. Additional chefs listed include Michelle Plain of Art to Eat, as well as Matías Sallaberry and Emily Davies from South Fire.
For those who want to add a beverage component, the weekend schedule also includes an optional Vancouver Island wine pairing. Organizers list the pairing as $30 plus tax, available as an add-on to the evening dinner experience. The pairing is described as separate from the core ticket price, which already includes the welcome drink.
After a Saturday feast at Keating Farm, Sunday shifts the focus from a long-table dinner to an orchard festival dedicated to craft cider. Merridale Cidery & Distillery is hosting its eighth annual Cider Harvest Festival on Sept. 27, running from 1 to 4 p.m. The venue is Merridale Cidery & Distillery at 1230 Merridale Rd. in Cobble Hill, where the festival’s orchard setting is highlighted as a key part of the fall atmosphere.
The Cider Harvest Festival is designed around cider tastings among the apple trees, bringing together cider producers from across B.C. The event is also scheduled to include live entertainment and food on site, along with a Cook Street Liquor pop-up offering bottles for attendees to take back. General admission is listed at $64, with tasting tokens purchased separately, and organizers recommend booking self-drive tickets early because they are limited.
For visitors planning a car-free itinerary, the weekend includes options for getting to the festival. Festival shuttles are listed as running from Victoria, Westshore, Nanaimo and Duncan. The itinerary guidance also suggests building in stops on the way back, including Blue Grouse Estate Winery or Unsworth Vineyards, before heading toward the ferry terminal.
For Vancouver-area travellers thinking about a fall weekend with a clear schedule, the dates and locations make the plan straightforward: Harvest Table at Keating Farm in the Cowichan Valley on Sept. 26, 2026, followed by Merridale’s Cider Harvest Festival at 1230 Merridale Rd. in Cobble Hill on Sept. 27 from 1 to 4 p.m. Together, the events offer two complementary ways to experience Vancouver Island’s food culture—one through a producer- and chef-driven dinner format, and the other through orchard tastings that connect attendees with craft cider makers across the province. Tickets and details are available through the event sites for Harvest Table and the Merridale Cider Harvest Festival.
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