NEPM Asparagus Festival returns to Hadley Town Common

HADLEY — What did one asparagus spear say to the other and the friends surrounding the bright green spring veggie?

“Can I join the bunch of you?”

And there will be plenty of bunches of asparagus to choose from on Saturday, June 7, when the NEPM Asparagus Festival returns to the Hadley Town Common.

Now in its 11th year, the annual festival — the largest fundraiser for New England Public Media in support of its programming — celebrates the area’s local businesses and organizations and spotlights the area’s agricultural heritage.

From adults to kids, even those young ones who don’t like to eat their vegetables, there will be plenty to do from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., including a tasty menu of local foods, lots to imbibe, music and games, and plenty more fun.

Shopping through the Farmers Market, you can pick up some delectable goodies and meet the farmers who grow them — especially Hadley asparagus, considered “the asparagus capital of the world.”

Interviewed during the third week of May, Wally Czajkowski of Plainville Farm in Hadley, who is currently picking 21 acres of asparagus on his farm, noted “it was an amazing start to the picking season this year.”

“We were picking in early April, but last week the temperatures got colder, and the picking wasn’t great, but we have all the confidence that it will come back because the soil moisture is so phenomenal,” he said, noting that 3 inches of rain is needed for optimal growth.

Czajkowski added that what makes Hadley asparagus so good and tasty is the soil with “exactly the right qualities for growth and flavor.”

“I like my asparagus grilled with anything on it, especially a little olive oil, but it’s even good by itself,” he said.

In addition to selling his asparagus at the Farmers Market, the Hadley farmer oversees the Asparagus Bunching Contest — there are no prizes just bragging rights — where people are invited to test their bunching skills based on weight and who can go the fastest.

The Farmers Market will also play host to more than 75 local vendors selling arts and crafts, from fine art to photography and from jewelry to jams and jellies, alongside face painting for the kids.

There also will be a number of nonprofit organizations on hand to provide information about who they are and what they do.

There is also no shortage of fun for kids, including a chance to meet PBS Kids’ characters Curious George and Nature Cat. Families can find out how fast they can pick asparagus with the Asparagus Valley Pick game or join Wild Garden of Childhood Nursery for arts and crafts

Local food trucks and restaurants that will be on site include Wake the Dead Donuts, Holyoke Hummus Company, Esselon Café, Vibesman’s Jerk Shack, Dean’s Beans, Ginger Love Café, P’frogi, Crooked Stick Pops, Bruisers BBQ, Vegan Pizza Land, Thai Chili Food Truck, The Skinny Pancake, Bueno Y Sano, Flayvors of Cook Farm, All Things Maple, and Masa Mexicano.

Among the special asparagus-themed menu items will be fried asparagus, smoked asparagus mac and cheese, asparagus pierogi, asparagus hand pie, and asparagus stir fry over rice.

And to wash it all down, the Provisions Beer and Spears Tent will sell local beers, cider and wines from Headwater Cider Company, Element Brewing & Distilling, Abandoned Building Brewery, Leadfoot Brewing, Amherst Brewing, Bright Ideas, Ginger Libation, and Katalyst Kombucha.

Throughout the day on the 413 Stage, visitors can hear headlining Haitian musician Paul Beaubrun, known for his impeccable guitar skills, rich vocals, musical ingenuity, and deep cultural roots, who will deliver a smooth mélange of English, French, and Creole. Also performing are local bands Splendid Torch, LeFever and The Greys.

In a hurry to enter the family-friendly event? Skip the line by registering online, even though the festival is free, and you will also be entered to win a VIP package to the Green River Festival, which will be held June 20-22 in Greenfield.

There is, however, a suggest donation of $5 per person or $20 per family for those who can afford it to support public media in western Massachusetts.

But when the festival is over on the Hadley Town Common, there is still more fun to be had.

Some of the best touring comedians in the country will be heading to the Hadley American Legion for a stand-up comedy show to further benefit NEPM and keeping public media alive and well in the Pioneer Valley.

Showtime is 8 p.m.

Produced by Hadley native Tony Sykowski of Time Out NY and Second City, the show will feature performances from Sykowski as well as local comic Alex Paquin, Caitlin Reese from the HBO Women in Comedy Festival and Sirius XM, and Rob Christensen of “The Problem with Jon Stewart” and Comedy Central.

Sykowski — who currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he appears in New York clubs and does comedy touring on the road — is the son of Hadley asparagus farmer Wally Czajkowski of Plainville Farm.

“I grew up picking asparagus and worked on the family farm until I turned 23. If anyone was stuck in traffic behind a tractor, that was me,” he said.

The comedian said the show is “an excuse to come back and perform.”

“I wanted to bring an event to the Pioneer Valley to give back to the community I grew up in, as well as bring some additional talent to the area for a fun night of comedy to benefit NEPM,” Sykowski said.

And don’t worry, it won’t be a night of asparagus jokes.

“I do have a couple of jokes about asparagus to tie in some local flavor, but you can’t do an entire evening about asparagus. As for the other comedians, they will be doing material about themselves and their life experiences,” Sykowski said.

Tickets to the show are $20 presale and $25 at the door with cash or Venmo. Visit NEPM.org to purchase tickets by clicking on “Learn More” under the Asparagus Festival Comedy Show.

This post was originally published on this site