Berkshire’s Blueberry and Book Festival to take place on Saturday

The Third Annual Berkshire Blueberry and Book Festival will be held Saturday, July 22, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in and around the Berkshire Free Library, Community Hall and Fire Station, all at the corner of Route 38 and Jewett Hill Road, in Berkshire, N.Y. 

If you are not into blueberry pancakes, which are available from 7 to 10 a.m. at the Fire Station, and you turn your nose up at “Everything Blueberry” at the bake sale following the Blueberry Bake Off, you’re forgiven, as long as you’re there for chicken BBQ, available from 11 a.m. until gone. 

For those that are there for the blueberries, Richford Hill Farm and Hillberry will have their blueberries for sale. Other food vendors include Marilu’s Catering and Sticky Fingers Cotton Candy and Snow Cones.

While you’re wiping blueberry juice and/or chicken grease off your chin, plan to enjoy the over 30 other vendors, providing crafts and products of every description. Or maybe your thing is books by local authors. There will be booths selling books by 13 local writers, with most of the authors themselves available to autograph the books you buy.  

There’s something for Civil War buffs, for those who just like history, historical novels even, and also topics that inspire.  

Are you an antique car and truck enthusiast? It’s in there, right behind the Fire Station. But that’s not all. There will be an art show in the Community Hall displaying the works of local artists as well. Activities for the children, local history displays and antique appraiser Bob Connelly will also be available.     

Of course, there will be food for the ears as well. Entertainment will be going on simultaneously in two locations. Sister Moon (female vocal and guitar trio), Wind Song (woodwind/piano quartet), Matt Fabrizio & Company (folk trio), Valley Harmony (male a cappella quartet), and the Full of Grace Dancers will be in the Community Hall, while there’s the Robert Beck Band (classic rock), Story Laurie (animated narratives for the young at heart), Andrew G. Fagan (vocal and guitar soloist and songwriter) and Farrah Fiacco (soprano) in the Fire Station. All of this is local talent.

This event provides funding for the Berkshire Free Library, which serves both Berkshire and Richford. Besides the program advertisers, the festival is sponsored by the Town of Berkshire and Visions Federal Credit Union.

The festival is six miles north of Newark Valley and 15 miles north of Owego, via Route 38. If you’re coming from the Triple Cities, take Route 38B West, to 38. If you’re coming from Ithaca, use Route 79 East to Richford and then 38 South to Berkshire.