Lents community welcomed at Harvest Festival

Discover why this outer East Portland active faith group offered a free, fun community event …

Smiles abound at the annual Pilgrim Lutheran Church Harvest Festival.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Starting at about 4:00 p.m. on October 25, costumed kids and regularly-dressed adults began arriving at the Pilgrim Lutheran Church, at 4244 SE 91st Avenue, to celebrate their annual “Harvest Festival” in the activity room.

Kids worked on crafts, and everyone played games and enjoyed door prizes – as well as the chili-and-cornbread supper.

Volunteer Diane Motsinger is ready to serve another “bowl of red” – fresh hot chili.

“The ‘Harvest Festival’ has become an annual event, here at Pilgrim Lutheran Church,” said volunteer and spokesperson Diane Motsinger.

“We passed out a lot of fliers throughout the Lents neighborhood,” Motsinger told East Portland News.

Siblings Phoenix Thayer, Trinity Thayer, and Lily Thayer happily show off their Hallowe’en costumes.

Kids enjoy the activities at the Craft Table, at this Harvest Festival.

In addition to the supper, which included coleslaw, and pumpkin bars for dessert, this unstructured outer East Portland Hallowe’en season event also gave guests the opportunity to talk with old friends, and to make new acquaintances.

“It is important for a church to do this because it lets the community know that we are here,” Motsinger said.

Pilgrim Lutheran members Alys Allwardt, Nancy Tingley, Diane Motsinger and Carolyn Tubbs show off the quilt they had a hand in making – and which they are about to raffle off.

“But more than that,” Motsinger added, “it lets people in our community know that we are here for them. We want people to know that whatever we can do we will do, to help make their lives a little better.”

It appeared as if that goal was met.

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