The one year anniversary of BREAD! KC happened to fall in the month of November; we decided, naturally, that a Thanksgiving themed feast was the right fit.
We partnered up with our local neighborhood bar, Harling’s Upstairs, as a venue. The BREAD! Crew decided two feasts should be offered: a feast in appreciation to those individuals who have gone above and beyond to make BREAD! what it is today, and a public BREAD! to generate funds for the project. BREAD!’s success relies on the unconditional support we’ve received from friends and local businesses, such as John and Mark Friend of Farm to Market Bread Co., Shane Hanson from Door to Door Organics, Jenny Vergara, Andrew Lyles, Julia Cole and Leigh Rosser, all of our parents, Jordan Stempleman, Ayla Rexroth, Nick Naughton, among many others who weren’t able to attend that night.
During the public BREAD! event, previous BREAD winners contributed dishes such as black beans and rice, fudge, and quesadillas for a potluck. The BREAD! crew brought back some of our personal favorites, like Andy’s northern bean spread, pork butts from Port Fonda, and split pea soup; all of this was paired with an array of Thanksgiving style dishes. Andy and Sean served up four very large ciabatta sandwiches, each one measuring about three and a half feet in length and inscribed with the words “THANK YOU”.
Since this was a fundraiser for the BREAD! project, Andy and Sean competed against each other for the BREAD! grant. Neither knew what the other’s project would be, but being who they are, their projects were very similar in context. Andy’s Cup of Joe involved serving coffee, with tips from the service that would help generate a new grant opportunity. Sean pitched the BREAD! Cart that would facilitate a mobile eatery to spread ideas, words, and publications of art-based projects around the metro. As the ballots were being cast, a diner stood up and asked, “can we have coffee and toast together?” The votes were tallied, and the Bread Boys tied.
Dinner was followed by a four band show that included Mosquito Bandito, Sneaky Creeps, Molly Picture Club, and Nevada Wolf, which rocked the house.
By the end of the night, Harling’s was sold out of booze.
The Thanksgiving GALA-LALALA was a huge success with a surprisingly large turnout. There were a lot of familiar faces amidst just as many newcomers. The event left us realizing how beneficial the project has been and can be to our community.
Thank you, Kansas City, for your continued support of BREAD! and the constant affirmation that we’re “doing good”.
To all the applicants, BREAD! grant recipients, diners, and supporters, many, many thanks.
Thanks a loaf!
