Greetings from... Wareham, Massachusetts and the Cranberry Harvest Celebration! This festive, picturesque, and educational celebration is easily one of my favorite events that I've ever been to. Have you ever eaten cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving? Had a glass of cranberry juice with breakfast? Then you'd love and appreciate this event! Before I get too far though, I must mention that the Cranberry Harvest Celebration no longer takes place. However, there are many cranberry-themed events still going on today to fill the bog-sized hole in your heart, even amidst the Pandemic; keep reading on to hear about them. So, let's head to Wareham and the Celebration!
The town of Wareham, Massachusetts sits right before the Bourne Bridge and is known as the "Gateway to Cape Cod". It's a coastal town rich in bogging history. Before its end, the Cranberry Harvest Celebration went on for 15 years and took place at the A.D. Makepeace Company Cranberry Bogs in Wareham, with co-sponsors Ocean Spray Cranberries and the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association. I attended it back in 2018, which was actually the very last year. The event organizers decided to go back to the roots of their mission, which is a "more intimate approach to education" about the cranberry farming and harvesting process, according to A.D. Makepeace Co. President/CEO Michael Hogan.
The Cranberry Harvest Celebration offered everything you could want from a fall festival: vendors, craft booths, cooking demonstrations, a farmer's market, plenty of food and beverage options, historical displays, and live music. On top of that, there were all sorts of activities like wagon rides and paddleboats to keep visitors of all ages entertained. Of course the big highlight of the Cranberry Harvest Celebration was going to the cranberry bogs themselves, though!
The bogs were a short distance (about 3 minutes) from the event grounds, so buses were used to transport attendees throughout the day. Once at the bogs, you could take a helicopter ride to see the view from above, visit the Ocean Spray vendors, take an up-close look at cranberries being harvested, and wade into a section of the bogs! Believe or not, I actually had "Go in a Cranberry Bog" on my Bucketlist before going to this event, so I was ready to pull on my waders and go! Once outfitted in the proper gear, we were allowed into a roped-off section of the bog that had been partially harvested. This meant that the cranberries were no longer connected to their underwater vines and it was easier for visitors to wade around. Bobbing around in a sea of red, shiny berries was an indescribable feeling and it made for great pictures too! We were also allowed to eat the cranberries right out of the bog. In its' freshest form, the cranberry is tart but delicious!
So, have I inspired you to go to a cranberry bog yourself yet? If so, there are plenty of opportunities even though the Cranberry Harvest Celebration no longer goes on. The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association has a "Visit a Bog" feature on their website where you can see if there's a bog near you and whether they offer tours or just sell produce. There is also information on their "Events" page about upcoming cranberry-related events like the Dennis Historical Society Cranberry Exhibit, Arts by the Bog, and Grumpy's Cranberry Harvest 5k Trail Run/Walk. Always be sure to check the details on these events before attending, though, due to potential COVID-19 changes. As always, links for everything I mentioned in this article can be found below!
I really enjoyed this "wade" down memory lane and hope you had fun joining me! Not only is wading in a cranberry bog a rare experience, but it's an educational one too. Everyone should get a chance at least once in their life to see what the farming behind-the-scenes looks like of their favorite foods and drinks; it leads to a greater knowledge and appreciation of what farmers do across the world.
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Next Thursday I'll be doing a Special Feature on my Fall Favorites! It's been a lot of fun for me to put together so far and I'm looking forward to sharing it with you all! My Mac Weekly Highlight will go up on Monday, per usual, as well.
Thanks for reading and farewell from Wareham, Massachusetts and the Cranberry Harvest Celebration!
~Claire
Links:
A.D. Makepeace Company Website: https://admakepeace.com/home
Article re. Ending of Cranberry Harvest Celebration: https://wareham.wickedlocal.com/news/20180916/letter-this-years-cranberry-harvest-celebration-in-wareham-to-be-last
Ocean Spray Website: https://www.oceanspray.com
Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association Website: https://www.cranberries.org
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