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Lehigh Valley Live: Enjoy all things blueberry July 17-21 at Bethlehem festival benefiting a great cause
July 2nd, 2021 | In The News
Blueberries are an iconic, delicious and nutritious summer fruit worthy of celebration. And Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites will be doing just that as it hosts its 34th annual Blueberry Festival & Market-To-Go festivities in Bethlehem July 17-21.
Held at the historic 6.5-acre Burnside Plantation — site of an 18th-century Moravian farm complete with historic barns, a Colonial kitchen garden, a pollinator garden and an apple orchard, and affectionately known as Bethlehem’s “Farm in the City” — the annual celebration will offer to ways to enjoy it.
“First, visitors can enjoy our on-site festivities on July 17-18 beginning at 10 a.m. each day,” said Carly Cheponis, marketing coordinator for Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites, which is dedicated to bringing history to life by educating the public about Bethlehem’s rich heritage and Moravian culture and preserving local historic sites and artifacts.
“Thanks to help from several outstanding local bakeries and vendors, the festival will feature everyone’s favorite desserts, including blueberry pies from Tomblers Bakery in Easton, blueberry coffee cake and strudel from The Bakery Nook in Coplay, and blueberry ice cream from the Bethlehem Dairy Store,” Cheponis said. “We’ll also be running a blueberry baking competition, which will invite participants to enter a baked good of their choice that features blueberries for a chance to win fun prizes. The baking competition will be judged by the Allentown-based Young Chef’s Academy, members of whom will also be doing demonstrations throughout the day.
“As in previous years, we’ll be bringing back our popular Blueberry Brewery Tasting Tent, which will feature such local purveyors as Bethlehem-based Cave Brewing Company, West Point-based Boyd’s Cardinal Hollow Winery, Kane-based Logyard Brewing, 14th Fret Brewing Company in Nazareth, and Xplorer Spirits in Allentown,” Cheponis said. “Purchase of our $25 Blueberry Brewery Pass will include admission to the festival, five tastings and a commemorative tasting glass.”
According to Cheponis, other onsite events will include live music (such as the Will Kiss Band and musicians Andrew Lobby and Matt Miskie), children’s activities and crafts, historic barn and house tours, outdoor games such as cornhole and Kan Jam, an adult and youth pie-eating contest, a dog blueberry costume parade, and a petting zoo and pony rides.
Admission to the festival is $10 for adults ages 18 and older and $5 for children ages 4-17; children ages 3 and under are admitted free. “Tickets can be purchased online in advance (at historicbethlehem.org) or at the door each day of the event,” Cheponis said of the Blueberry Festival weekend, which has typically drawn over 4,000 attendees in previous years.
“For those who can’t make the on-site event but want to enjoy the best of our blueberry confections, we’ll also be offering our Market-to-Go on July 19-21 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, during which time people who pre-ordered pies and baked goods online can pick them up,” she said.
“For more information about our on-site festival or our popular Market-to-Go afterward, people can call 800-360-TOUR or visit historicbethlehem.org.”
Supporting a Great Local Cause
Formed in 1993, Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites interprets three centuries of the history and culture of Bethlehem — from its founding as a Moravian community in 1741 and contributions to our then-emerging nation to achievements of the 21st century.
“All proceeds from the Blueberry Festival help Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites to maintain the Burnside Plantation and 19 other historic landmarks in the area,” Cheponis said. Among these are the circa-1741 Gemeinhaus (the oldest building in Bethlehem and home to the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem); circa-1752 Apothecary, which was originally situated in the Gemeinhaus but relocated several times and currently situated behind the Moravian Book Shop on Main Street in downtown Bethlehem; and the mid-18th century-era Colonial Industrial Quarter, located behind the Hotel Bethlehem and considered America’s first industrial park. “Other historic landmarks within our organization’s purview include the Single Sisters’ House, a residence connected to the Gemeinhaus where many single women (known as the Single Sisters choir) lived, as well as the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts, which features period furniture, paintings, china, clothing and changing exhibits within three interconnected mid-19th century homes,” she said.
“We have several large fundraising events throughout the year and the Blueberry Festival is definitely one of the most beloved,” Cheponis said. “It’s a fun, relaxed, family-friendly celebration that represents a bit of an escape from the hustle and bustle of downtown Bethlehem, which gets busy in the summer.”
“Overall, we look forward to welcoming local and out-of-town visitors to enjoy our renowned annual festival and to experience beautiful Bethlehem, which is steeped in history and culture,” Cheponis said. “And you’ll definitely get your fill of blueberries, a quintessential symbol of summer!”
For More Information
Hosted by Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites, Historic Bethlehem’s 34th annual Blueberry Festival & Market-To-Go will take place July 17-21 at Burnside Plantation, 1461 Schoenersville Road, Bethlehem. For more information or tickets, call 800-360-TOUR or visit historicbethlehem.org.
