Apple lovers rejoice, it’s back.
After an absence during the COVID pandemic, the original Franklin County CiderDays are back, featuring an assorted group of cidermakers, orchardists, cider industry folks, and aficionados.
CiderDays, to be held for three days beginning Friday, Nov. 3, is an annual community celebration of “all things apple” in Franklin County. This year marks the event’s 29th year with tours, cidermaking (alcohol and not), tastings, workshops and much more in orchards and venues county-wide from Greenfield, Deerfield, and Turners Falls to Shelburne Falls, Colrain, Heath and the towns in-between.
At one time, cider was the most popular drink in America. Colonists in early America planted cider apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony shortly after arriving on our shores. According to mass.gov, hard apple cider – enjoyed as a refreshing beverage for thousands of years and made by artisans across Massachusetts – is undergoing a renaissance. The current lineup of the locally-made drink features a wide array of styles for every taste with the apple variety contributing to the hard cider flavor profile.
Among the participating venues for apple eating, cider tasting and education about the fruit and cider making are: 4th annual Wild and Seedling Pomological Exhibition, Apex Orchards, Beaver Pond Distillery, Berkshire Cider Project, The Brewery at Four Star Farms, Cameron’s Winery and Cidery, Clarkdale Fruit Farms, Headwater Cider, Meadow Forge Farm, Mill at Shelburne Falls, Muse Cider Bar, New Salem Preserves and Heritage Cider, Pine Hill Orchards, Red Apple Farm, Ryan and Casey/Cold River Package and Market, Scott Farm Orchard, Shelburne Falls Cork and West County Cider.
Here is a look at what some of the venues will be offering this weekend:
• Mill at Shelburne Falls: A full slate of cider and apple-related talks plus a ticketed guided cider tasting;
• West County Cider in Shelburne: The oldest running cider house in the country offers their ciders, hiking trails and picnic grounds for the special weekend; on Saturday, they will also have the Lucky Lips Oysters truck serving fresh oysters with homemade condiments alongside West County’s best ciders;
• Cameron’s Winery and Cidery in Northfield: A Nine Cider Food Pairing Friday night, call for tickets at 413-225-3420, and on Sunday there will be campfires, cider dogs, music and fun activities;
• Headwater Cider in Hawley: The cidery will host a gathering of cidermakers from Western Massachusetts at the orchard on Saturday and Sunday; they will be pouring small tastes and selling sealed containers for off-premise consumption. There will also be cheese from Grace Hill Farm and Meadowsweet Farm for sale as well as jams, cookies, and apple themed goodies from Billings Brook Farm;
• New Salem Preserves and Heritage Cider – now in their sixth season offering their own small-batch vintage hard ciders as well as warm German pretzels on Saturday and Sunday; various workshops both days including Basic Apple Tree Pruning, Beginning and Advanced Cider Making, Making Mighty Swift Hot Sauce and others.
Not all venues listed on the CiderDays program are open all three days of the event. Check the CiderDays website for more information on each venue.
