AAYLC Harvest Dinner Albany 2026, Celebrating Black and Diaspora Families

The AAYLC Harvest Dinner Albany 2026 is Sunday, November 15, from 4:00 to 6:30 PM at The Grove Church in historic downtown Albany. Shared by the Linn Benton NAACP Branch 1118, the dinner celebrates Black and African diaspora families and culture with good food, games and time together. Bring the whole family, meet neighbors from across Linn and Benton counties, and start the holiday season in community.

Celebrating Black and Diaspora Families in the Mid-Willamette Valley

Black families in Albany, Corvallis and the surrounding towns are often spread out, and gatherings that bring them together are worth showing up for. The AAYLC Harvest Dinner is built around that idea: a relaxed Sunday afternoon where children, parents and elders from across the African diaspora can share a meal, play games and celebrate the cultures they carry with them.

The dinner was announced in the Linn Benton NAACP’s November newsletter as one of the community gatherings to close out the year. For details about the program, food or how to help, contact Earlean Huey at [email protected].

A Season of Gathering for the Linn Benton Branch

November is a busy month for the Linn Benton NAACP. The branch held its Freedom Fund Celebration on November 7, holds its membership meeting and officer elections on November 12, and is preparing to march in Albany’s Downtown Twice Around Holiday Parade on December 5. The AAYLC Harvest Dinner Albany 2026 sits right in the middle of that season and gives families a simple way to connect without a ticket or a program to sit through.

Gatherings like this also make it easier for newcomers to find their people. Families who have recently moved to the valley for work, school or Oregon State University can meet others who share their background and learn about the branch’s committees, from housing to Women in NAACP.

What to Expect at the AAYLC Harvest Dinner Albany 2026

1. Good foodA harvest meal shared around the table with neighbors.
2. Games for all agesTime to play together, from the youngest guests to the elders.
3. Culture and communityA celebration of Black and African diaspora families and traditions.
4. New connectionsA chance to meet families from Albany, Corvallis and nearby towns.
5. Branch informationLearn how to get involved with the Linn Benton NAACP.

Why Community Tables Matter

Oregon’s Black history runs deep, even if it is not always taught. Black pioneers, workers and families have helped build communities across the Willamette Valley for more than 150 years, often in the face of exclusion laws written to keep them out. Organizations such as Oregon Black Pioneers work to preserve that history so the next generation knows it.

A shared meal is one of the oldest ways to pass that history and culture along. When young people sit at a table with elders who look like them, they hear the stories, recipes and lessons that make a community strong. The AAYLC Harvest Dinner Albany 2026 makes room for exactly that kind of afternoon.

About the Linn Benton NAACP

The Linn Benton NAACP Branch 1118 serves Linn and Benton counties from its office at The Hub, 3111 Santiam Highway SE, Suite H, in Albany. The branch works on housing, health, voting and youth programs, and welcomes new members. NAACP AOWSAC shares this event so Oregonians across the region can take part. Find more events across Alaska, Oregon and Washington on the NAACP AOWSAC events calendar.

Additional Resources

• Linn Benton NAACP Branch 1118
• Oregon Black Pioneers
• Oregon Health Authority Equity and Inclusion Division
• NAACP National

Shared by the Linn Benton NAACP Branch 1118 and the NAACP AOWSAC State Area Conference