Friends' Table at Rivendell Samctuary

Be our guests for a unique dining experience where you’ll enjoy a homemade, plant-based meal and meet new friends in a beautiful setting—surrounded by the very animals your support helps protect. Each Friends’ Table gathering features a seasonal theme and locally sourced dishes that embody the sanctuary’s values of compassion and sustainability. Many of the ingredients come straight from our gardens. It doesn’t get fresher than that! Enchanted Winter Friends' Table Seating Limit: 20 Recommended Donation: This month, we are not setting a minimum donation. Guests are welcome to support the sanctuary in whatever way works best—through a monetary gift (PayPal or Venmo: @rivsanctuary), by bringing a bag of veggies for the rescued animals, or by choosing something from our Amazon wishlist. No donation is too small to make a real difference. Most-loved food donations include: Leafy greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, canned corn (no salt), canned pumpkin, celery, carrots, squash, fruit, and sunflower seeds. Menu Arugula & pear salad Wild mushroom bisque Lentil Shepherd's Pie Glazed ginger carrots Homemade bread Assorted holiday cookies Passionfruit pudding Wine, water, sparkling water Coffee A Note about the evening This won’t be your typical dining experience. Throughout the evening, we’ll play our beloved Save the Queen Trivia game, where we go around the table and ask each friend a question about an animal – and yes, anything goes, whether the creature is real, mythical, or questionably described. Answer correctly, and you’ll earn the glorious honor of pulling a prize from the Booby Prize Basket. Answer incorrectly… well, nothing tragic happens. You simply get to cheer with dramatic flair for the next friend and plan your triumphant return while confidently pretending you totally knew the answer. Come Early! Guests are welcome to arrive early for a sanctuary tour. Visit our on-site library where you can choose a book and read to the animals, or wander the nature trails for a quiet walk before dinner. Sanctuary opens at 3:00 PM (exclusive to Friends’ Table guests).Dinner is served promptly at 5:00 PM. P.S. about RSVPs Friends, for previous events we’ve occasionally had challenges with last-minute cancellations. We completely understand—life happens, illness strikes, plans shift. However, because our resources are limited, we typically purchase ingredients, prepare space, and invest time and funds several days before each event.When guests cancel at the last minute, the event can shift from supporting our mission to placing added strain on it. If at all possible, we kindly ask guests to avoid last-minute cancellations. Thank you sincerely for helping us make these evenings sustainable for the sanctuary and for our rescued residents.