Eden’s Organic Garden Center & CSA Farm has added several twists to this year’s Barn Aid fundraiser—a 32-mile fun ride from the Lake Highlands Community Garden to Eden’s in Balch Springs, stops at other community garden locations where riders will gather the ingredients for a 3-course, vegetarian meal prepared by local chefs, a free screening of Urban Roots and live music.  

This is the fourth annual Barn Aid.  The fundraising event was started by Marie Tedei of Eden’s to help the community after a devastating tornado.  “The mission is to give back to those who need help in order to help others in return while having a rockin' time doing it,” Tedei explained.

Billed as Le Tour de Farm, the fun ride includes stops at Promise of Peace Community Garden, Stonewall Jackson’s School Garden, Our Savior Community Garden,the Urban Community Garden Coalition behind Parkland’s Southeast Dallas Health Center and Paul Quinn Community College’s We Over Me Farm.

The funds raised will be used to support the gardening program at Youth Village Resources of Dallas, which serves juvenile offenders, ages 13 to 17 years old.  Youth Village Resources of Dallas’ garden program grows food that is served in the organization’s cafeteria as well as for the popular Cafe Momentum pop-up dinner program.

Chefs for the vegetarian dinner are Graham Dodds of Central 214, Mark Woottoon of Garden Cafe and Chad Houser, formerly a chef at Parigi, who is now serving the Executive Director for Café Momentum.

As is tradition with this event, the farm gates open at dusk to the public for a free showing of Urban Roots; followed by a free concert with Lorynn the Redhead of Dallas. Concessions will be available for purchase during the movie/concert. There will also be displays from other area groups that support local food and community gardening including local favorite bee keepers, Susan and Brandon Pollard of The Texas Honey Bee Guild.

The bike/drive part of the event begins on Sunday, Oct. 14 at 1 p.m. from the Lake Highlands Community Garden, at 7901 Goforth Road in Dallas. Extra dinner tickets are available so a ride home can be waiting at the farm. Alternatively, a DART rail station is conveniently located 4 miles from the farm for a green ride home.

La Quinta Inn at Seagoville & Pioneer Road will provide parking and special overnight rates.  The event is sponsored in part by several area local businesses including Edible Dallas & Fort Worth, Three Happy Cows, Greenling DFW, i.design.com, Eric Grundelman's Cool AV, Jenice Johnson Media, Joy Zhang Photography, Crave DFW, SOS From Texas and Eden’s Organic Garden Center & CSA Farm.

For more information and to purchase tickets, go here.