CiderDays is a community event celebrating all things apples in Franklin County, Massachusetts. 2009 marks the 15th year of this event and there will be two days of orchard tours, cider making and tastings, workshops, and much more. This is for all who love apples, fresh or hard cider, apple cuisine, apple orchards, or just being in New England in the fall. There is a charge for some of the activities but there is no admission for the self-guided tour of the orchards or the Marketplace at the Shelburne Buckland Community Center in Shelburne Falls. Tickets for CiderDays 2009 are on sale at www.ciderday.org.
Some highlights include workshops, talks and tastings from beginner through advanced for cider makers, home orchardists, and cider afficionados at various locations throughout the weekend. Saturday, November 7, from 8 – 11, enjoy an Apple Pancake Breakfast at the Second Congregational Church, Court Square in Greenfield. The Cider Salon, with tastings of a dozen or so ciders from around the country, takes place at the White Church Community Center in Old Deerfield on Saturday (you need a ticket for this one.) The CiderDay Harvest Supper features Chef Paul Correnty, who will create a savory fall feast featuring apples, cider and other locally grown foods. The dinner will be held in the Blue & White Society Room at the PVNA Teachers’ Center, 10 Memorial Street in Old Deerfield (another ticketed event.) New Salem Orchards hosts its Apple Festival with child-friendly apple pressing, live alpacas, cider donuts, caramel apples, hot squash/cider soup, roasted hot dogs over a bonfire, apples, sweet cider, sun-cooked preserves and more on both Saturday and Sunday. Claude Jolicouer gives a talk about cider varieties for the commercial orchard on Saturday at a location to be announced. Organic orchardist Michael Phillips wassails apple trees at New Salem Orchards on Saturday from 1 – 2 pm. Michael is also leading an orchard walk at Clarkdale Fruit Farms on Sunday from 1 – 2 pm. Terry Maloney from West County Cider and Steve Wood from Farnum Hill Cider will conduct From Apple to Bottle on Sunday at the White Church Community Center (tickets required.) Apples from the Slow Food Ark is a lecture on Sunday, also at the White Church Community Center, led by Ben Watson (not the New England Patriot) and Tom Burford – tickets needed for this one, too. Formaggio’s South End pairs with Ben Watson later on Sunday for a Cider and Cheese Pairing (buy tickets for this one – it will be spectacular), and The Marketplace at Shelburne Buckland Community Center in Shelburne Falls will host local artisans and producers, food vendors, and, of course, apples. For directions and more information, log on to www.ciderday.org.
Staying true to its original purpose — promoting local orchards — the festival will feature area produce. Braley Orchards, Peters Orchards and Flying Cloud Orchards will offer apples, peaches, cider and pies. The peach cobbler will be made by the Historical Society, and organizers promise it is “the best around.” A variety of snacks, meals, beer and wine will be served.