Morning Call: 32nd Blueberry Festival to feature blueberry beer, bushes, ice cream, and more

There’s nothing sweeter than a bushel of fresh-picked blueberries in the summer and Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites hopes you’ll indulge in everything blue at its 32nd Annual Blueberry Festival, July 20-21 at Bethlehem’s historic Burnside Plantation.

In addition to blueberry pie, ice cream and other treats, the family-friendly event features local crafters and vendors, musical performances, kids activities, live demonstrations and more.

You’ll be able to satisfy your appetite with new festival foods such as Coastal Flavors’ crab cakes and lobster rolls, Bake-A-Re’s blueberry cookies and lemon ricotta blueberry pound cakes and ZuZu Confectionary’s frozen chocolate mousse in a cone topped with fresh blueberries.

Also new for 2019, Rocky Top Concessions will bring its “Snow Kone Factory” where you can mix and match snow cone flavors, and a limited quantity of blueberry bushes, $10 each, will be available for purchase.

Craving more blueberry goodness? Head over to the festival’s dessert tent for

blueberry pie, coffee cake, strudel and ice cream (pre-ordering is available for take-home desserts at historicbethlehem.org/blueberry-festival).

Still can’t get enough blueberries? You can sign up for the children’s or adults’ blueberry pie eating contest at the information booth and prove your appetite is the greatest. Contests start at 2:15 p.m. both days.

The festival takes place during the dog days of summer and if you’re looking for a refreshing drink to beat the heat, a Brewery Tasting Tent will provide space for adults to sample seasonal flavors of beer, wine and mead.

Participating local businesses will include Seven Sirens Brewing Co. (Blueberry Shandy), Bethlehem Brew Works (Blueberry Belch) and Boyd’s Cardinal Hollow Winery (blueberry wine, chambourcin rose and more). Returning for the second year are the delicious Burnside Blueberry Mules by Eight Oaks Craft Distillers.

The Adult Brewery Combo ticket, $25, will get you festival admission, a tasting glass and five samples. Looking for a full glass? Head to the Upper or Lower Brewery Tents to purchase your favorite flavor.

There also will be live colonial brewing demonstrations with renowned local beer historian Chris Bowen all weekend throughout the day near the Brewery Tasting Tent.

Back by popular demand, the Blueberry Jam Open Mic, hosted by Ralph Pagano of Voices of the Valley, showcases local talent 3-7 p.m. Saturday, July 20. Open Mic headlining artists Cassidy Rain Duo (3 p.m.) and Cubbage (4 p.m.) will be followed by other Lehigh Valley music acts, including Jeni Englund, The Ancient Oaks, MoJo, Mark Hannig, Alyssa Dodge, Seth Witcher, Michael Reisman, Bill McConney and Emily Noel.

Additional live music and entertainment, presented both days across two stages, will include El Sistema, Magnolia Sadies, Lehigh Valley Charter Arts, Project 32, Temple Avenue jazz quintet, Pennsylvania Youth Theater, Little Brass Band, Jack Murray and the Blue Tarp Wranglers and Bill Bauer. New entertainment will include a magic act by Mr. Misterrio, a Hawk Mountain presentation and music by Acoustic Kitty, Smooth Retsina Glow, Matt Miskie and the Monkeephiles.

For the dog lovers, new dog skills and drills demonstrations by Neverland K9 as well as Canine Good Citizen and Trick Dog testing (open to four-legged festival-goers) will be held throughout the day. Also, children can take a break from the festivities to read their favorite book to one of the dogs from the local Alliance of Therapy Dogs group in the Haas Barn and your own leashed and family-friendly dogs can dress up in their blueberry-best for a Pet Parade Costume Contest, 3 p.m. Sunday, July 21.

Returning festival favorites include kids crafts in the Kid’s Club Tent, colonial games and dress up, blacksmithing and colonial cooking demonstrations, pony rides and a petting zoo. Children and adults also can participate in culinary contests where they aim to make the most tantalizing dessert featuring one cup of fresh blueberries.

Registration for the Pet Parade and culinary contests is free and does not include festival admission. Admission is $5 for kids; $10 for adults. Online-only admission specials include: $25 for a Family Pass that admits two adults and up to four kids, $22 for the Adult Brewery Combo and a variety of dessert combo passes to take home your favorite festival dessert at a discounted price. For more information, call 800-360-8687 or visit historicbethlehem.org.

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