ORONO, ME– After a successful first Wild Blueberry Weekend in 2021, the annual event that puts Maine’s iconic fruit in the spotlight is back for year two and will be taking place August 6-7, 2022. Mainers and visitors will have the opportunity to eat, drink, and experience everything Maine wild blueberry throughout the weekend by visiting one (or many!) of the 14 participating wild blueberry growers’ farms located in the Midcoast and Downeast. There will also be numerous restaurants, inns, bars, wineries, breweries, and distilleries participating in the weekend activities statewide.
Wild blueberry growers opened their doors for free and had fresh wild blueberries, jams, pies, and other products available for guests to purchase. There were thousands of dollars of direct on farm sales and thousands of visitors enjoyed touring the places where wild blueberries grow. This year, growers will again invite the public to see wild blueberry country for themselves – because here in Maine, we only do wild.
“After an amazing first event in 2021, we’re thrilled to bring back Wild Blueberry Weekend for its second year, and hope Mainers and visitors will take the time to go to a wild blueberry farm and see for themselves why wild blueberries are so special,” said Patricia Kontur of the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission. “Participants in the weekend will have the chance to learn why wild blueberries are distinctly different from ordinary blueberries, and to learn how multi-generational family farms have stewarded and harvested this healthy, delicious berry for hundreds of years. Wild blueberries are grown and harvested in a way that is truly unique to Maine’s coastal landscape.”
State Partners Encourage People to Have a Wild Time
To help spread the word about the event, the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission is working closely with partner organizations like the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (Real Maine), HospitalityMaine, and Visit Maine (Maine Office of Tourism). All organizations will share details of the Wild Blueberry Weekend events on their social media channels throughout the summer. Additionally, Visit Maine will alert national travel media about the unique event, and Hospitality Maine will engage its membership base to encourage statewide participation from inns, restaurants, wineries and breweries. Dozens of hospitality businesses are expected to sign up to participate in 2022.
Learn about “Blueberrying” in Maine’s Wild Places
From watching berries being raked by hand, to soaking up the beauty of the sloping wild blueberry fields, visiting a wild blueberry grower during peak season–July through August of each year–is truly something special.
“Many people don’t know that there are two types of blueberries – wild and ordinary blueberries. Wild blueberries are native to our state and have been in Maine for more than 10,000 years – they are not planted, they’re just here and are stewarded by family farms that go back generations. Once you try a wild blueberry, I promise you, you’ll never have ordinary blueberries again,” continued Kontur.
Plan Your Wild Blueberry Weekend Adventure –Fun for the Whole Family
On the Wild Blueberry Weekend website, you can plan your family’s weekend itinerary by browsing the map that highlights 14 wild blueberry growers and dozens of participating restaurants, bars, wineries, and eating establishments. Visitors will also have the chance to pick their own wild blueberries, view hand-raking demonstrations, sample, and taste, and even camp out nearby select fields. Additionally, visitors can purchase fresh and frozen wild blueberries, as well as a number of value-add products like dried wild blueberry powder, jams, syrups, honey, spirits, and more.
“Don’t miss out on the chance to experience Maine’s wild blueberry country during the summer months – it’s something you won’t forget. Plan your Wild Blueberry Weekend adventure today,” concluded Kontur.
Planning to participate in the weekend? Share you wild experience by tagging @wildblueberries on Instagram and Facebook and use #WildBlueberryWeekend on social media for a chance to win one of 10 Wild Blueberry Weekend t-shirts. To learn more about Wild Blueberry Weekend, visit www.wildblueberryweekend.com.
