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LEHIGH VALLEY WEATHER
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36th annual Blueberry Fest

Published August 01. 2023 01:21PM
by Tami Quigley Special to the Bethlehem Press

The annual bonanza of all things blueberry in Bethlehem made for a yummy summer weekend July 15-16 as the 36th annual Blueberry Festival & Market to Go took center stage at Burnside Plantation.

Presented by Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites, the festival served up fresh, delicious blueberries and desserts as well as an array of great food vendors, petting zoo, live music, Colonial cooking, gardening, brewing demos, pony rides, kids’ activities, business exhibitors and much more.

Those unable to make it to the festival on the colonial farm were able to swing by the Market to Go to pick up their order July 17.

Jeff Bonner, who owns Cave Brewing Company with his son, Jeff Jr., said this year marks the third or fourth time the brewery has been part of the Blueberry Festival.

Cave Brewing is a family business run from his garage in Salisbury Township on South Mountain. “We make all kinds of beer and hard seltzer,” Bonner said of the business founded in 2015.

Bonner, who was on tap at the festival with friend and employee Alberto Maisonet, was glad to be back at the Blueberry Festival.

“We love it. We love the mission,” Bonner said. “We get invited to a lot of places and we always like to be here.

“It’s the superbowl of fundraising for Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites, and we’re always happy to support them. If we don’t restore these buildings we lose history, and that’s happening far too much,” Bonner said.

“We’ve met so many good people along the way.”

Lehigh Valley Press, a division of Times News Media Group, was one of the festival sponsors.

Press photos by Tami Quigley Blueberry lovers mull around the grounds of Burnside Plantation on July 15, the opening day of the 36th annual Blueberry Festival & Market to Go presented by Historic Bethlehem Museum & Sites
Lucas Rodriguez enjoys a pony ride with Sunset Boarding Stables LLC Traveling Pony Rides and Petting Zoo, based in Schuylkill County. “I liked everything about it,” Lucas said of the pony ride. Caleb Dalvet, owner, and another staff member lead the pony. Dalvet said this is about the third year they've been part of the Blueberry Festival.
Joey McHarris feeds a young goat at the petting zoo. The zoo was brought to the festival by Sunset Boarding Stables LLC Traveling Pony Rides and Petting Zoo, based in Schuylkill County.
Jeff Bonner, who owns Cave Brewing Company with his son, Jeff Jr., taps a blueberry seltzer – a hard seltzer made with real blueberries.
Nick and Doug paint their own T-shirts at the festival.
Visitors peruse all things blueberry available for purchase at the Blueberry Shoppe in Johnson Barn.
Ted Moyer, docent with Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites, is ready to lead tours at the 1818 Hillman House, an addition to the 1748 Burnside House.
PRESS PHOTOS BY TAMI QUIGLEY Delicious slices of blueberry pie await hungry fest goers.
An array of blueberry preserves, jam and vinaigrette are available for purchase in the Blueberry Shoppe in Johnson Barn.
Fest-goers mingle on the grounds of Burnside Plantation.