Blue was the color of the day – from blueberry ice cream to blueberry-scented soap to blueberry Grand Marnier jam and even blues music – at the Pennington Farmers Market.
That’s because the sweet little blueberry was the theme of the Pennington Farmers Market’s inaugural Blueberry Festival, held on the lawn in front of Rosedale Mills, Route 31, on June 30.
Susan Schmoyer and her children, Patrick and Emily, braved the heat to check out the event.
“We come here (to the farmers market) a couple of times a year, and the Blueberry Festival did catch my attention,” said Schmoyer, who lives in Hopewell Township.
“We eat a lot of blueberries, plain and with cream. We just bought some blueberries. I’m going to make blueberry rhubarb pie. I’ve made strawberry rhubarb pie, how could blueberry rhubarb pie be wrong,” Schmoyer said with a laugh.
Patrick and Emily, meanwhile, were trying to guess how many blueberries were crammed inside a one-quart jar at one of the tables. It was a guessing game, sponsored by the Pennington Farmers Market.
Patrick guessed there were 109 plump little blueberries in the jar, and Emily guess there were a few less than that. Visitors offered guesses that ranged from 95 blueberries to 780 blueberries.
At one end of the farmers market, Uncle Ed’s Creamery offered blueberry ice cream and blueberry muffins, while blueberries themselves were available a few booths away at Chickadee Creek Farm.
Bearded Goat Fine Foods had some blueberry products that garnered interest from visitors – blueberry Grand Marnier jam that was created just for the festival, and blueberry barbeque sauce.
“I have a sweet tooth and I love jams and jellies,” said Darla Tarpinian, who lives in Lawrence Township. She scooped up the last jar of blueberry Grand Marnier jam.
At O’Savon Soaps, there was not a blueberry in sight, just handmade blueberry-scented soap. Sharon Maralit said this was the first time O’Savon Soaps had made blueberry-scented soap.
“It’s just a test,” she said. There were other soaps available, also.
To keep visitors entertained while also carrying out the blueberry theme, musicians Phil and Guy played the blues – Guy DeRosa on harmonica and Phil McAuliffe on guitar and vocals.
They played some blues classics, including “Key to the Highway,” which was original to Big Bill Broonzy and later made popular by Eric Clapton, and “It Hurts Me Too,” originally played by guitarist Elmore James.
Meanwhile, Kate Fullerton explained that the Pennington Farmers Market Board of Directors came up with the blueberry theme. It seemed natural, since the farmers market has a peach-themed festival in August, she said.
“We wanted to do something more than peaches. A blueberry festival is a great way to start off the Pennington Farmers Market,” said Fullerton, who co-chairs the board with Eileen Heinzel.
And for the record, there were 241 blueberries in the jar at the booth. Ken Miller won the guessing game and was rewarded with a gift certificate to use at the Pennington Farmers Market.
