May 16, 2024, SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — With less than a month to go, the spirit (or, perhaps, “spearit”) of asparagus will once again be the focal point of the 10th Annual NEPM Asparagus Festival. Known as “the asparagus capital of the world,” western Massachusetts is still home to hundreds of working farms, and many locally-owned restaurants and breweries. Now in its tenth year, the NEPM Asparagus Festival returns to the Hadley Town Common on Saturday, June 1 to celebrate the area’s local businesses and organizations and spotlight our agricultural heritage.
What: <b class="rte2-style-bold">The 10th Annual NEPM Asparagus Festival</b>
When: Saturday, June 1, 2024, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Where: Hadley Town Common, Route 9, Hadley, Massachusetts
Hosted By: New England Public Media (NEPM)
Each year, the NEPM Asparagus Festival brings people together in celebration of our region’s diversity, beauty, and bounty. The event brings over 7,500 people to the Hadley Town Common to enjoy the best of western Mass. flavors, agriculture, music, and, of course, Hadley grass. The festival is free and open to all with a suggested donation of $5 per person or $20 per family at the gates. Proceeds from the NEPM Asparagus Festival support public media in western Mass.
This year the Farmers & Makers Market will be open for the full day (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.) so attendees can have more opportunities to explore and connect with more than 100 local vendors and artisans featuring crafts, cultural items, nonprofit initiatives, agricultural products, and more. In addition, the festival will offer a wide selection of food trucks serving up delicious food from asparagus fries to asparagus flavored ice cream. The Provisions Beers & Spears tent will feature local craft breweries including Building 8 Brewery, Abandoned Building Brewery and more.
Musical guests taking the Fabulous 413 Stage throughout the day include singer-songwriter duo Lexi Weege & JJ Slater, world music ensemble TapRoots, New Orleans native Glen David Andrews, and young Berkshire-based blues favorite The Diego Mongue Band. Plus, there’s no shortage of children’s fun, including a chance to meet PBS Kids characters Curious George and Zeke from “Work It Out Wombats,” and a live science quiz from the Tumble Podcast! 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.
Sure to be a fun time for the entire family, this is an unmissable opportunity to enjoy one of the first festivals of the season, highlight this remarkable vegetable, and gather in a community celebration of all western Mass. has to offer.
The NEPM Asparagus Festival is sponsored by Greenfield Savings Bank, PV Squared, Country Nissan, All Energy Solar, Smithland Pet and Garden Center, Hope & Feathers Framing and Northeast Solar.
The Daily Hampshire Gazette, El Pueblo Latino, Reminder Publications, Hilltown Families and Hampshire County Tourism are media sponsors.
A special thank you to the Town of Hadley.
For all event details and activities, visit nepm.org/asparagus, NEPM Facebook, or NEPM Instagram.
ABOUT NEW ENGLAND PUBLIC MEDIA
New England Public Media enriches people’s lives in western Massachusetts and beyond by nurturing curiosity, inspiring community engagement, and reflecting the unique joys of living here. NEPM is the region’s source for PBS and NPR programs and for locally produced news, video and music content.
For more information, visit nepm.org or follow NEPM on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
MEDIA CONTACT
Vanessa Cerillo
Senior Director, Marketing, Communications and Events
New England Public Media
413-735-6605
vanessa_cerillo@nepm.org