When an afternoon at Mayfair Farm in Harrisville, N.H., begins with pumpkin and goat cheese pierogies and ends with chocolate truffles — plus borscht, challah, roast pig, four-grain pilaf, and 12 more dishes in between — it’s destined to be a great event.

On October 6, 150 people gathered at Mayfair Farm for October Feast, the last of this year’s five farm dinners. Though the weather was dreary, the afternoon rang with a festive beer hall atmosphere.

During the event, attendees sampled local beer entered in the home brew competition, listened to the Mayfair Farm house band, and ate a gourmet meal prepared in the farm’s commercial kitchen. Mayfair supplied the meat, eggs, tomatoes, pumpkin, and raspberries, while produce came from Farmer John’s Plot and cider from Keene’s Maple Lane Farm.

First-time home brewers Nick Colony and Bryan Kingsbury of Harrisville won the top prize in the competition with their Cupola Oktoberfest brew. The duo will be enjoying a whole Mayfair roasting pig and use of the farm’s motorized spit. Second prize, a Mayfair Thanksgiving turkey, went to John Bennink of Vermont for Maypo, his maple porter ale.

“The seven different entries in the contest were all amazing tributes to the craft of local beer making,” said Mayfair farmer Craig Thompson. “The whole afternoon was great. We are so excited to make October Feast an annual event.”

As with past Mayfair dinners, the farm donated 10% of its on-farm retail store sales for the week following October Feast to a local non-profit. This time, Mayfair gave $350 to Farmer John’s Plot in Dublin, N.H.

The next Mayfair event, to coincide with Pumpkin Fest, is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 19. Mayfair farmers Sarah Heffron and Craig Thompson will host a breakfast featuring eggs from their laying hens and sausage and bacon from their pigs. The menu will include house made bread and apples from nearby orchards.

Tickets are $22 plus tax for adults and $17 for kids. A free guided walking tour will follow the meal and begin at 10 a.m.  This is a rain or shine event, and the walking tour will cover most of the farm. Boots are recommended.  Purchase tickets online.

For more information about Mayfair Farm products and events — or about having Mayfair arrange a pig roast of your own — call 603-827-3925 or write to info@mayfairfarmnh.com.