CapFed Best News: Evergy Plaza to celebrate first day of fall with music, fun and a Harvesters food drive

An event next week at Evergy Plaza to celebrate the beginning of fall will double as a food drive for Harvesters Community Food Network.

According to a news release from sales and marketing manager Ashlee Spring, Evergy Plaza will hold a “First Day of Fall Celebration” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22.

The event will feature vendors selling caramel apples, popcorn and coffee, and a food truck will be present. There will also be live music by Kansas native Kyle Austin.

“The health and safety of our patrons is our number one priority and we will be monitoring social distancing and increasing sanitization throughout the day,” said plaza director John Knight. “We are excited to begin activating Evergy Plaza and show the community the incredible space we have.”

Though the First Day of Fall Celebration kicks off at 10 a.m., music and lunch are expected to start at 11 a.m.

There will also be several Harvesters barrels set up throughout the plaza that day for donations of canned goods and to bring awareness to Hunger Action Month, which is celebrated by Feeding America food banks nationwide during the month of September.

Though the First Day of Fall Celebration is free to the public, attendees are encouraged to bring canned goods to donate.

Jannett Wiens, Harvesters’ regional director of resource development, said food drives like this one are crucial, especially during a time when donations to the food bank have decreased significantly.

“The impact of COVID-19 has had a tremendous effect on the number of traditional food drives that we normally see,” Wiens said. “To have a food drive that’s hosted around a celebration at Evergy Plaza around the first day of fall could have a tremendous impact.”

On the evening of Sept. 22, Evergy Plaza will feature an orange lighting display in honor of Hunger Action Month and to conclude the First Day of Fall Celebration.

Wiens said orange is the color that typically represents hunger and is often displayed publicly during Hunger Action Month to bring awareness to the cause.