Knoxville, Tenn. — The New Harvest Park Farmers Market will host its eighth annual Blueberry Festival on Thursday, June 28, with Knox County Commissioner Michele Carringer ringing the bell to kick off the family-friendly event.
The market, which runs from 3 to 6 p.m. and is open to the public, will be held at the park, located at 4775 New Harvest Lane.
In addition to local blueberries and blueberry plants for sale, other activities will include:
- Success with Blueberries in Your Garden presentation by David Vandergriff and Neal Denton from the UT Extension Office.
- Blueberry cooking demonstration and canner testing by Heather Kyle-Harmon of UT Extension.
- Special blueberry items available by vendors.
- More activities to be announced on the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/newharvestfm/
“This has always been one of the market’s biggest events and this year should be no exception,” said Mike Donila, community relations manager for the county’s parks and recreation department. “We’ll have locally grown products, including meats, fruits and vegetables, but the highlight will be the blueberries, and this is the perfect time of year for them. In addition, we’ll have folks on hand who can test pressure canners and talk about how to freeze, dry and preserve blueberries.”
The farmers market participates in the Fre$h Savings program which works in conjunction with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Under it, participants who spend up to $20 per transaction at the market will get a matching amount in tokens to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at the market.
For more information on the program visit: http://www.aarp.org/aarp-foundation/our-work/hunger/info-2015/fresh-savings-shop-smarter-eat-healthier.html.
