“It’s a wonderful way to spend a Friday night with your family, make some new friends and to experience fresh, New Jersey blueberries,” said event coordinator Elizabeth Louie.
Trinity Episcopal Church in Moorestown will hold its annual blueberry festival from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, rain or shine.
“It’s a wonderful way to spend a Friday night with your family, make some new friends and to experience fresh, New Jersey blueberries,” said event coordinator Elizabeth Louie.
Admission is $10 per person, $15 for two or $25 per family and includes desserts with fresh blueberries, live music, a magician, a bounce house and carnival games. Those who purchase tickets in advance from the church’s website will be automatically entered into a raffle for a chance to win a $100 Target gift card. Grilled foods, salad, jam and fresh blueberries will be available for sale.
“We have a lot of enthusiasm from the parishioners and a lot of enthusiasm from the community, so we’re really happy that we’re able to fulfill everybody’s desire to see the blueberry festival become an annual event,” Louie noted.
Blueberries deliver four essential nutrients with a wide range of health benefits. Fresh ones are a good source of fiber, vitamin C and manganese (an essential trace element present in many foods and available as a dietary supplement) and have virtually no fat. Frozen blueberries have the same nutrients but are also an excellent source of vitamin K, according to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.
All of the festival’s blueberries come from a farm in Hammonton – the proclaimed “blueberry capital of the world.”
“We are very fortunate that we have an established relationship with a local blueberry farmer who has supplied us with amazing berries every year,” Louie related, “and he’s always willing to help support us.”
Next month is National Blueberry Month and National Blueberry Day is Tuesday, July 8. This sweet snack can be used for all sorts of things, including sauces, smoothies, baked dessert and jams. Because every season is blueberry season, fresh ones are available all year long. Look for blueberries that are firm, dry, plump and smooth-skinned; deep purple blue to blue-black with a silvery surface bloom; and reddish (sour to eat but usable in cooking or baking).
“If you’ve never had a fresh, New Jersey blueberry,” Louie emphasized, “I think that’s the draw (of the festival), to come and try them.”
