Forty Heritage Group members and their guests attended the annual Holiday Luncheon on Thursday, November 15. Our new venue this year, the Terrace Dining Room at Assiniboia Downs, proved to be an excellent setting to celebrate the season.

The ambience of the Terrace Dining Room was festive and open, and our view of the surrounding outdoor environment was an extra bonus. The only thing missing was the sound of horse races, but… it was the end of November… well past the racing season!

Bar service was readily available for attendees on arrival, and the sounds of laughter and camaraderie while sipping wine, rum and eggnog and other seasonal cocktails was soon pervading the air. Prior to dining, Heritage Group Chair, Leslie Walsh, brought holiday greetings to all in attendance and thanked everyone for their support and enthusiasm for the Heritage Group all year round.

The luncheon provided by the Terrace Room Chef and his staff was outstanding… seasonal, plentiful and delicious! The meal included signature salads, vegetable trays, cheeses and pickles, perogies, cabbage rolls, meatballs with mushroom gravy, roast turkey with savoury stuffing, carved ham, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans amandine and glazed turnips. Following this extensive selection of entrees, we were treated to a full dessert bar, including traditional pumpkin pie.

In an effort to allow everyone to have more time to visit and chat, the Social Committee decided to reduce the number of door prize draws this year… and so we had three large festive gift baskets, a few gift donations from individual Heritage Group members and a gift certificate for two to Jane’s Restaurant, courtesy of Red River College. This change to fewer door prizes was received well, so we will continue to follow this plan for the 2019 holiday luncheon.

The overall feedback from those in attendance at the 2018 event was extremely positive, and most people commented that they would like to return to Assiniboia Downs for next year’s holiday event. All in all a successful venture to start the holiday season!

Photos by Gordon McBean