The Harrison Township Historical Society will again host its annual asparagus festival from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Mullica Hill Friends Meeting House on Woodstown Road.
The event marks the anniversary of the first commercial shipment of fresh produce by air in the country. The flight took place on May 17, 1922 and headed from William D. Iredell’s farm on Wolfert Station Road in Mullica Hill to Boston with its cargo of asparagus.
“The flight – arranged by the Gloucester County Board of Agriculture to demonstrate that fresh produce could be cut and delivered to distant markets the same day – reached Boston by evening, where 800 pounds of the vegetable arrived on dinner tables,” said Christopher Knisley of the historical society.
“The flight made the front pages of newspapers in Boston, New York and Philadelphia,” he added, “and the festival celebrates that flight and the agricultural economy that made it possible.”
The main attraction of the festival is a battle of the chefs, where nine culinary masters and bakers from local restaurants will compete for the best asparagus dish. The winners are decided with input from guests and three judges: social media personality South Jersey Schnitz, jazz vocalist Greg Farnese and Instagram personality Barbie Delle.
Among the competing restaurants is Naples at the Warehouse, last year’s winner. According to the historical society, the restaurant’s current building was used to store asparagus later shipped by railroad to various cities before the historic flight.
“We always enjoy supporting the historical society, because they voluntarily dedicate their time and passion to preserving the beautiful history of our town,” the Naples family said. “Plus, we like a fun, healthy competition.”
Participation in the festival requires purchasing a ticket in advance on the historical society’s website or at ticketleap.com. A marketplace will feature local vendors with food for attendees to take home, as well as jams, breads, honey and other specialties.
The Old Town Hall Museum will also be open so guests can view the historical society’s latest exhibit, “Hometown Revolutionaries: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness,” which marks the country’s 250th birthday and continues through Saturday, June 13.
Proceeds from the festival support the historical society.
“The asparagus festival is by far the best event we put on and has become our largest fundraiser,” said its president, David Tinney. “The friendly competition between our chefs and bakers is a lot of fun and keeps getting better every year. “The community response has been remarkable.
“It tells us this story still resonates.”
The asparagus festival on Saturday will include fresh batches of the vegetable for purchase.
