In the early part of the last century, these gatherings were referred to as fowl suppers, as ducks, geese, chickens and turkeys were plentiful. Some groups still use the term fowl supper.
When I was a kid, they were called bazaars because there were other activities in conjunction with the supper to attract people and make additional funds. I recall the beloved fish pond where you could "catch” a prize, raffles, a table selling popcorn balls, game tables and an area to bob for apples.
This long-running, harvest time tradition is a fond memory for many. Aside from the fantastic meal that everyone enjoyed immensely, these occasions provided an opportunity for fundraising towards improvements to churches and communities. They were a much-anticipated opportunity to visit with friends and neighbours. It was an event anyone could attend; old, young, single, married, or with their kids. The suppers in Leask were initially held at the Legion Hall. In 1981, when the Lions Hall was built, it became the location for fall suppers.
People came from far and wide to partake in these meals; lineups formed outside the hall at least an hour before the doors opened. There was a circuit of suppers one could attend in the area throughout the fall: Leask, Marcelin, Hafford, Blaine Lake, Parkside, Shellbrook and Shell Lake, to name a few. At one point, you could get a huge meal and dessert for around five dollars, and there was even a family rate so you could bring all the youngins.
Our church’s fall supper was held annually on a Sunday in late October. In the weeks leading up to the event, sign-up sheets were posted for members to indicate what food items they could donate or prepare and a shift they could work. Cagey individuals who got to the lists first signed up for the easy stuff like buns and pickles. If you missed the day when the list was posted, you ended up cooking a turkey, which included making dressing and gravy and taking it to the hall or cooking and mashing a pot of potatoes. When I say a pot, I mean a canner, not a Dutch oven. Many husbands helped prepare the food and remember lugging heavy containers into the hall for their lady, bless their souls. It was also the guys’ responsibility to set up and put away the chairs and tables. When up to five hundred people attended such functions, it took a lot of volunteers to pull it off.
As many tables and chairs as could be squeezed in filled the hall, there wasn't much room to move around. Being elbow to elbow with a stranger usually led to an introduction and a conversation. Little kids played happily on the stage. Long buffet tables placed end-to-end were laden with food. The bounty of the harvest included cabbage rolls, vegetables, beets, coleslaw, carrots, turnips, tomatoes, pickles, mashed potatoes, ham, turkey, dressing, salads, cranberries, gravy and buns. Don’t even get me started on dessert, oh my word, the pies! There were pies of every description cut into generous wedges, including apple, blueberry, Saskatoon, cherry, pumpkin, raisin, rhubarb, chocolate, banana and coconut cream and lemon meringue. One lady I knew brought the most amazing sour cream and raisin pie, and that was the one that I sought out each year. I thoroughly enjoyed that pie and didn't give a hoot how many carbs were in it!
I took my obligatory turn organizing the fall supper for a couple of years. I recall my cousin, Annette, putting her hand on my shoulder at a church meeting and reassuring me that I was up for the job. There was no getting out of it at that point; I was in too deep.
When I am in charge of something, I plan it to death; there’s always a binder of lists and notes involved. I tell you with total honesty that I had nightmares about it at the time. What kind of nightmare could you possibly have about a fall supper, you might ask? Well, when you’re the one in charge, there is a lot of pressure. In this reoccurring nocturnal disturbance, I would realize around noon on the day of the supper that I had forgotten to pick up and distribute the frozen turkeys to the people who had agreed to cook them. I’d always wake up at that point, so I never did get to find out how I would have dealt with that predicament.
For a long time, it was considered unthinkable to use paper plates, so that meant volunteers had to collect and hand wash hundreds of glass plates and cups and pieces of cutlery, not to mention the pots, pans and coffee urns. Luckily, there was always enough help so workers could switch off. Eventually, the old guard gave in to the use of paper plates. A paper plate, though, could not hold a massive mound of food like the glass ones, and you would see people carrying a plate piled high, looking like it was going to fold up in the middle.
Gone are the days when every town had a community fall supper but some have made a comeback since the pandemic. I recall ladies bustling around a steamy hall kitchen, like a well-oiled machine, ensuring the feast was ready at 5:00 sharp. What I remember most, though, is the delectable aroma and taste of those meals, the down-home atmosphere and how much people enjoyed those outings.
Have you attended or helped out at fall suppers in your community?
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