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Morning Call: Bethlehem’s 32 Annual Blueberry Festival: Our Picks & Tips
July 18th, 2019 | In The News
Written by Jennifer Sheehan for The Morning Call
From lemon-ricotta blueberry pound cakes to classic blueberry pie, there’s one annual festival that brings out the best in one of summer’s best fruits.
Bethlehem’s Blueberry Festival, a 32-year tradition, will fill historic Burnside Plantation with a host of delicious blueberry foods and drinks when it returns July 20 and 21.
The festival is always jam-packed with delicious things around every corner. Here are our tips on what to eat, check out and keep in mind as you plan to go:
Order now, take home
A festival tradition is pre-ordering delicious blueberry treats so you can take them home.
Here’s what you can (and should) pre-order:
A dozen frozen blueberry pierogies from Bethlehem’s Black Forest Deli – $12
Blueberry coffee cake – $12
Blueberry pie with crumb topping from Easton’s Tomblers Bakery – $15
Blueberry strudel – $10
All pre-ordered and reserved desserts will be held at the Take Out Desserts tent between the Corn Crib Store and the Wagon Shed.
The deadline is fast approaching: All orders by 3 p.m. Friday, July 19.
To order: https://bit.ly/2xzuccF
Step into the Blueberry Dessert Tent
If you can’t wait to dig into blueberry treats, you can step into the Blueberry Dessert Tent and enjoy immediately.
Among the items you’ll find: slices of blueberry pie, blueberry ice cream, blueberries, blueberry coffee cake and strudel.
You can drink your blueberries too (and other delicious beverages)
You can sample seasonal flavors of beer, wine and mead in the Brewery Tasting Tent, featuring Bethlehem Brew Works, Seven Sirens beer, and Boyd’s Cardinal Hollow Winery. And the Burnside Blueberry Mules by Eight Oaks Distillery are back.
If you want more, you can also to go the upper or lower brewery tents.
Did we mention the food?
You can also check out festival food vendors including:
Big Poppa’s: Barbecue
Heaven On A Bun: burgers, sandwiches and more
Island Expressions: An annual favorite at the festival, known for their boom boom shrimp and castaway crawfish
Mom & Pop’s Kettle Korner: Kettle corn and gourmet hot dogs
Blueberry Festival will also have a few foods including 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, Rocky Top Concessions will bring its “Snow Kone Factory,” where you can mix and match snow cone flavors,
Test your stomach capacity
If you have a bottomless stomach, you’ll want to sign up to compete in the annual Blueberry Pie Eating Contest, which will be held each day at 2:15 p.m.
Learn something new
Blueberry Festival also offers numerous demonstrations you can watch to learn more about colonial life. One not to miss: Local craft beer historian Christopher Bowen, who will demonstrate colonial beer brewing methods. He’ll also discuss the history of craft beer in Bethlehem and the man who made it famous: Johann Sebastian Goundie.
Plan ahead and allow for extra time
In previous years, you could park at Martin Tower and walk down the path to Burnside. With the May 19 implosion of Martin Tower, the property is now off-limits and so is the parking lot.
So, here are your options:
Free shuttle buses will run to and from Westgate Mall at the former Bon-Ton. You’ll find a tent with a Blueberry Festival banner in the parking lot with chairs for those who are waiting. Guides in costume will be on the buses to give highlights of the festival and an overview of Burnside Plantation.
For those with handicapped license plates or hang-tags, there will be eight spaces available at the Moravian College “X-lot” at 1150 Mauch Chunk Road, Bethlehem, and a free shuttle will bring those individuals to Burnside.
You can also bike or walk to the festival. Burnside is roughly the halfway point of the Monocacy Way trail. The entrance to the Monocacy Way trail is on West Union Boulevard. adjacent to the Route 378 North entrance ramp. There is a nearby city parking lot at 121 W. Union Blvd. More on the trail: traillink.com/trail/monocacy-way/.
There will be a lower entrance at Burnside for walkers, an entrance for those coming on the shuttle buses, and an entrance at the Monocacy Way Trail at Burnside for those who are walking or coming on a bicycle that way. Signs will direct people.
Another option: There will be a special Uber/Lyft drop-off location at St. Luke’s Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Center, 1441 Schoenersville Road.
Hours: The Blueberry Festival will run 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 20; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 21 at the Historic Burnside Plantation.
How much: 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.
Info: 800-360-8687 or visit historicbethlehem.org
