by Kirby Lindsay, posted 13 December 2013
On December 21st, the Fremont Arts Council will host its annual Feast of The Winter Solstice, as happens every year. For as long as they have hosted their famous celebration of the longest day of the year – the Solstice Parade – the FAC has likewise celebrated the shortest day of the year.
The first Feast took place, twenty-five years ago, in the Fremont Fine Arts Foundry, as a potluck dinner among the few dozen people that were Arts Council members then. Everyone lent a hand then with decorations, entertainment and participating in the ritual celebration of the solstice.
A quarter century later, the Winter Feast – like the Arts Council – has grown. The Feast has evolved into an elaborate event, requiring the organization of hundreds of volunteers to complete a long checklist of ‘traditional’ elements. A modern FAC Feast generally includes:
Site
Every year a few hardy souls among the FAC set out to find a site large enough to accommodate its current members, and all their friends and families, for a sit down dinner, as well as dancing, live music, and many art installations. In 2012, Board President Peter Toms estimated the size needed at between 10,000 and 20,000 square feet.
In the early years of the Feast, Fremont was an economically depressed area with a selection of old, underused industrial structures available for short-term lease for temporary transformations. As the neighborhood has grown, and improved, (in part, thanks to the work of the Arts Council,) that wealth of warehouses has been severely slimmed down.
The search has become a serious chore. The FAC needs a large space, for only a little over a week, they can’t pay market rent, and they would sure like to have heat, electricity and running water – although renting port-a-potties is pretty standard.
This year, the seekers found what many industrial business owners have – many large industrial spaces are now available north and south of Seattle, in Shoreline and Georgetown. However, they held out for something local, and found 18,000 square feet in the former Stoneway Roofing offices and warehouse, which are due for demolition in early 2014.
Volunteers
Cleaning, decorating, organizing, hosting, and cleaning up after a party for 800 of your closest friends takes a large crew of people. At the November FAC general Meeting, Board President Peter Toms distributed two full page lists of volunteer positions needed to be filled for the Feast, with most being leadership roles that would require finding assistants. The hard work required to make the Feast a magical, mystical and marvelous evening for attendees cannot be oversold. Particularly since many of the volunteers will give up time with family and friends just to create a beautiful, welcoming Feast that their friends and family will enjoy.
Tickets
For many years a passive donation collection kept the Feast more or less self-sufficient, but as the event has grown and attracted hundreds of attendees, costs have increased. The decision to sell tickets to this elaborate, elegant bacchanal has required endless discussions and a slow shift for many FAC members. In 2008, a newly elected Arts Council Board announced that all Feast attendees would be required to purchase tickets – an idea still considered each year, and still fought vigorously and vociferously.
With a large enough site, like this year, the FAC can distribute tickets to the 200 volunteers that take on the largest tasks – leadership roles, or giving massive amounts of time – and sell tickets to another 500.
When put up for sale, general Feast tickets were offered for $25, a price estimated to be not too expensive for the average FAC member. Also, at its December 10th general meeting, the attendees voted to sell another ticket, for $20, to those who only want to attend the late-night dance portion of the Feast, at 11p.
Food
The Feast began as a potluck, and continues as one, although meats and bread get augmented by purchase. The bread is part of the tradition of the evening – breaking the bread is part of the kick-off – but the meat is part of the reality that many people find it easier to assemble and carry in a vegetarian (or even vegan) dish.
One way volunteers assist is in greeting attendees at the doors, and table runners take dishes to be sorted and distributed around the room, with serving utensils. This is intended to guarantee each table has a complete meal, and while not a foolproof system, the effort create a communal meal is admirable.
Entertainment
Not surprisingly, to those familiar with the Solstice Parade, the Feast of the Winter Solstice offers a wealth of entertainment options, with live music, visual art, elaborate ritual, and random silliness. A tea house, a quiet area, greens, headdresses, candles, lights and other installations will be created and opened for the enjoyment of all, as space allows.
Security
Over 25 years, the Feast has had one serious accident and a few troubling incidents, but given the generous, open and relaxing atmosphere the Arts Council creates, it may surprise some to know that the event is actually quite safe and sane.
Every year, FAC organizers consider security. Every year, they take seriously the lessons learned at past Feasts, and the need to protect all attendees. This year, with the late night dance party, there may be more, professional security on-hand. While an unpaid volunteer may oversee the security plan, the FAC will call in professional bouncers if necessary.
Clean-Up
Isn’t it always the way – no one wants to clean-up? At the Feasts, this isn’t always the case. In 1998, I attended the clean-up – the day after – and encountered an atmosphere almost as festive as the Feast the night before; like a mini-party of its own. While I expected to stay several hours, the vast number of volunteers that showed up made light work and the mini-party ended before many were ready to leave.
This has not always been the case, and the last few years a few people have had to spend days following hauling and tending to endless little details. Yet, every year, the Feast organizers ask all attendees to show up December 22nd to help with clean-up. Hopefully this year, they all will.
Lost & Found
Following each Feast a large stack of dirty dishes and pans, clothing items, and random blankets/table cloths must be loaded up from the Feast site and hauled back to the FAC playhouse – the Powerhouse (3940 Fremont Ave N.) Also, each year, lists appear on the FAC Yahoo e-group of sentimental or valuable items lost/misplaced at the Feast.
It is to be hoped that everyone leaves the 25th Feast with all that they brought, plus a full tummy and many warm and wonderful memories to carry them through the coming, cold winter.
Find out more about Feast on the FAC Facebook page, or the Fremont Arts Council website. Or, stop by the Feast space (3636 Stone Way N) in the days leading up to December 21st to volunteer and help create a celebration seriously outside the norm but inside a community.
To buy a ticket, visit Brown Paper Tickets, but know that the Feast of the Winter Solstice can sell out – and soon!
Related Articles
- Fremont Feast Marks Winter Solstice
- by Kirby Lindsay, December 30, 1998
- FAC Highlight Reel: Feast, Mostly…
- by Kirby Lindsay, December 17, 2012
©2013 Kirby Lindsay. This column is protected by intellectual property laws, including U.S. copyright laws. Reproduction, adaptation or distribution without permission is prohibited.