(Photo provided by: Rachel Rost-Allen)

There’s a calm that comes with fall evenings on campus–brisk, unhurried, and soft. You can hear leaves gently raking the sidewalk and smell that first crisp air of fall. For a moment, life is peaceful. On Oct. 14, 4-7:30 p.m., JCCC’s Open Petal Farm will open its gates for Cider and Sunset–a free community event that grasps everything we love about autumn: good people, good food, and that simple feeling of connection. Grab your friends and a light jacket and get ready for an awe-inspiring, golden evening.

Instead of rushing between classes or phone calls, visitors can wander rows of fruits and vegetables, cider in hand, while the light slips below the horizon. There will be free snacks, games, and farm tours, plus some readily available produce for purchase from our farm stands. All families are welcome to come, and so are the curious–anyone who wants to see what a community looks like when it’s homegrown.

Farm manager, Claire Zimmerman, says that’s exactly the point.

“This event is about getting people involved in our food system,” Zimmerman said. “Cider and Sunset is a big week of local food and produce, so we’re trying to get people to just come and taste it–try something new, because it’s so delicious.”

The farm sits quietly on the west side of campus, marked “OPF” on the map. Parking in the Police Academy is free and close enough that you can smell the soil right as you step out of your car.

For Rachel Rost-Allen, Sustainability Education and Engagement Coordinator, the event is a gentle reminder that the beautiful four acres of farm deserves more eyes–and footsteps.

“I’m really trying to raise awareness that we have a farm,” Rost-Allen said. “There is so much potential here for students and community members who might not even realize what’s growing right in their backyard.”

Beyond cider and gold sunsets, the evening also shines a light on JCCC’s Sustainable Agriculture program, which offers tons of scholarships and hands-on learning for students eager to work in food systems that nourish both people and the planet.

At its core, the night isn’t about programs or promotions. It’s about connection–the kind that happens when conversations drift between rows of greens and laughter slashes through the wind. So, if your Tuesday evening is open, head west and let the day wind down with you. Take a walk, taste something grown locally, and watch as the sky blazes with colors before it fades to dark. You might go home with a pumpkin or two, but most likely, you’ll leave with that rare feeling that you were exactly where you needed to be.