National Blueberry Festival
Where: South Haven, Michigan
When: August 8-11, 2019
The National Blueberry Festival is one of the nation’s oldest fruit festivals—it has been taking place on the second weekend of August each year since 1963. This year, after you feast on blueberry pancakes (and before the famous fish fry at night), you can lace up for the annual 5K race or compete in the first-ever Blueberry CrossFit Games.
Iron River Blueberry Festival
Where: Iron River, Wisconsin
When: July 27-28, 2019
What sets the Iron River Blueberry Festival apart from other fruit fairs around the country? If it’s not the abundance of fresh juicy blueberries or the two-hour-long polka mass on Sunday morning, then it’s the cardboard boat races, where kids row to the finish line on Moon Lake in their crafty creations.
Marshall County Blueberry Festival
Where: Plymouth, Indiana
When: August 30-September 2, 2019
With so much going on at the Marshall County Blueberry Festival, it’s hard to know where to start. While there are more than enough festivities to fill all four days, locals say that the Blueberry Donut Stand is a must-visit for warm fruity pastries and that the fireworks show on the final night is equally spectacular. See all the best recipes from Indiana.
Chincoteague Blueberry Festival
Where: Chincoteague Island, Virginia
When: July 19-21, 2019
Come for the blueberries, stay for the shopping. With over 100 vendors selling everything from handmade jewelry to artisan baskets, the Chincoteague Blueberry Festival prides itself on being the largest arts and crafts event on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Psst: Blueberries tend to sell out, so insiders recommend pre-ordering your berries online before the festival.
Alyeska Resort Blueberry Festival
Where: Anchorage, Alaska
When: August 18, 2019
For two full days, you can indulge in all of the blueberry pies, smoothies, muffins and other creations to your heart’s content at Alyeska Resort Blueberry Festival. And if you want to take some berries home with you, snag a free chairlift ride up the mountain where you can forage for fruit in the bountiful bushes.
Machias Wild Blueberry Festival
Where: Machias, Maine
When: August 16-18, 2019
One of the highlights of the Machias Blueberry Festival has to be the annual pie-eating contest. It was even broadcast live on ESPN one year! But if you’re more into whipping up than chowing down, you might want to enter the blueberry cooking contest instead. Not sure what to make? We recommend one of these deliciously fruity dishes.
Charlton Blueberry Festival
Where: Charlton, Massachusetts
When: July 28, 2019
Of course you’ll want to stock up on fresh local blueberries at the Charlton Blueberry Festival…but there’s a lot more than just fruit to be found. Look out for fresh blueberry pies and shortcake, plus live bands and craft vendors for the adults.
Vermont Blueberry Festival
Where: Wilmington, Vermont
When: July 26-August 4, 2019
Perhaps even more unique than the blueberry boat parade or the blueberry Jell-O slide at the Vermont Blueberry Festival is the Blue Eyes Contest, where the person with the prettiest peepers will be crowned before the blueberry barbecue. Want more festival fare? Here are the best eats at fairs in every state.
Blueberry Fest
Where: Bartlett, New Hampshire
When: August 3, 2019
The Bartlett Blueberry Fest had us at “free.” Held at Attitash Mountain Resort, the festival includes a blueberry pie baking (and eating!) contest, a cornhole tournament and performances by local bands. Here’s a tip from the event organizers: Leave your car in town and take the train into the resort to avoid parking crowds.
The Blueberry Festival
Where: Ellenville, New York
When: August 10, 2019
Chow down on fresh-baked goodies from the winner of the annual blueberry muffin contest at Ellenville’s Blueberry Festival while you listen to live music in the town square. If you can’t make it to the one-day event, whip up your own tasty treats with one of our favorite blueberry muffin recipes.
Mossyrock Blueberry Festival
Where: Mossyrock, Washington
When: August 2-3, 2019
Get to the Mossyrock Blueberry Festival early to catch the parade (there will even be a parachute jumper!), then spend the day browsing the car show, participating in the fun run or cheering on the pups in the family dog show. At night, spread out a blanket and post up with a picnic to watch the fireworks.
Blueberry Festival
Where: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
When: July 20-21, 2019
If you live in Pennsylvania, one of our top picks is the Blueberry Festival in the Lehigh Valley. Besides the live colonial demonstrations, pet parade and barn tours, there’s also the crowd-favorite Blueberry Brewery tent, where you can sample local mead, beer, wine and vodka. Do you know the best craft beer in Pennsylvania?
North Carolina Blueberry Festival
Where: Burgaw, North Carolina
When: June 20, 2020
Fresh blueberries aren’t the only thing that the North Carolina Blueberry Festival is known for. You’ll also be able to partake in a barbecue cook-off, the Tour de Blueberry bike ride and live music in the beer garden. It’s all enjoyed with a side of Southern hospitality, of course.
Florida Blueberry Festival
Where: Kissimmee, Florida
When: March 28-31, 2019
Just $10 will get you into the Florida Blueberry Festival, where you’ll be treated to four straight days of live music and all the blueberries you can eat. And with the Blueberry Patch Kids Zone, featuring bungee jumping, a rock wall and inflatable bounce houses, there’s enough fun for the whole family!
Georgia Blueberry Festival
Where: Alma, Georgia
When: June 5-6, 2020
Summer in the South means one thing: a trip to the big Blueberry Festival, held in none other than the blueberry capital of Georgia. There’s a blueberry cooking contest, live Civil War reenactments and even a senior beauty pageant where you can vote for your favorite grandma.
Smith Berry Barn’s Annual Berry Festival
Where: Hillsboro, Oregon
When: July 4, 2020
There are regular harvest festivals—and then there’s this Berry Festival. Jam-packed with all sorts of events, the schedule includes fresh berry desserts, a cookout and a Berried Treasure Hunt for the kids.
Wondering what to do with all your blueberries, strawberries and blackberries? Try one of these berry good recipes.
Lowcountry Blueberry Festival
Where: McClellanville, South Carolina
When: June 30, 2019
No trip to the annual Lowcountry Blueberry Festival would be complete without a bucketful of blueberries—and the famous Blueberry Toss. Grab a partner and try to beat the current world record (55 feet, 8 inches!) by successfully catching a blueberry in your mouth.
Alabama Blueberry Festival
Where: Brewton, Alabama
When: June 20, 2020
The Alabama Blueberry Festival is everything that a summer fair should be: family-friendly, fun and full of food. And speaking of food, beat the Southern heat with a scoop (or two… or three…) of blueberry ice cream, which is made especially for the festival each year. You can scoop up fresh blueberry ice cream at home with this recipe.
Texas Blueberry Festival
Where: Nacogdoches, Texas
When: June 13, 2020
Thousands of people descend on Nacogdoches every June for the Texas Blueberry Festival. Here you can compete in contests like the Blueberry Cupcake Contest or the Mr. and Miss Blueberry Pageant, listen to the Blueberry Bluegrass Concert in the Park on Friday night, or even take a dip in the Blue Brrrrry Dunking Booth.
Annual Blueberry Festival
Where: Browns Mills, New Jersey
When: June 25-26, 2019
There’s a reason that the Annual Blueberry Festival made our list of the best food festivals in every state—not only is the blueberry the New Jersey state fruit, but Historic Whitesbog Village (where the event is held) is the spot where the first cultivated blueberry was developed back in 1916. Today, there’s food, contests and crafts galore.
The post We Found the Best Blueberry Festivals in America appeared first on Taste of Home.
Amanda Tarlton