Greenbank Farm’s 22nd annual Loganberry Festival on Saturday and Sunday boasts a “Back to the Farm” theme with more than 100 booths and exhibitors to showcase the farm’s role as a center for sustainable agriculture, recreation, environmental education and small-scale economic development.
New this year are 4-H exhibits of chicks, goats, cows and horses, along with booths with farm produce and plants and locally grown artisan foods such as jams, jellies, sauces, nuts and candies, as well as tours of the farm’s agricultural training center gardens and the new solar power station, according to a press release about the festival.
There will also be nonfarm things to see, such as antique cars from the Island Model A Club.
The festival doesn’t forget the artists either, hosting arts and crafts vendors with handcrafted items along with the Artists in Action segment where a blacksmith, woodcarvers, weavers, quilters, printmakers and others demonstrate their skills.
Also new this year are some children’s activities that include a kinetic waterworks installation and a stomp percussion set and a fun facts farm search with prizes. Some yearly events have returned such as the pie eating contests — for kids of all ages — hay wagon rides and appearances from Larry Dobson, Whidbey’s “Stilt-man.”
“Nurturing what is best about the land and lifestyle of Whidbey is what the Farm is all about,” said the festival’s volunteer director Faith Wilder.
Musical entertainment comes in a variety of forms including Cheers, a barbershop group, Bahia performing tropical jazz, and the Shifty Sailors singing sea chanties. Also on tap is Island Strings, the jazz quartet of Danny Ward & Reality and the bluegrass of Spoonshine Duo.
In the tasting tents, more than 20 of Whidbey and Puget Sound area wineries and Whidbey Breweries will offer tasitngs.
This year’s festival will also include a “Greenbank Farm Store” offering everything loganberry with, weather willing, actual loganberries, and memorabilia including hats, T-shirts, bags and wine glasses.
Greenbank Farm’s Loganberry Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Greenbank Farm, 765 Wonn Road, Greenbank. All day admission is free, and parking per car is $3. For further information call 360-222-3151 or 360-678-7700
Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.
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