Fifth annual Hockinson Blueberry Festival a blast for guests

Last week, guests arrived in the hundreds to try fresh blueberries and products from Hockinson’s local farmers. The fifth annual Hockinson Blueberry Festival, Saturday, July 13, at the Hockinson Community Center was a smash hit for guests.

Dozens of blueberry, honey and flower farmers from the local community met guests during the festival. Riley Lowery from Majestic Farms, a 13-acre self-pick blueberry farm north of the community center, sold locally produced blueberries and honey to guests. The festival is an important opportunity to meet new customers for farmers including Lowery, who said the annual event allows newcomers to learn about everything Hockinson has to offer.

“We get to meet so many people,” she said. “This gives a chance for outside people to learn about everything Hockinson has. We have several different blueberry farms around here. A lot of people come directly to Hockinson just to [pick] them.”

In collaboration with the event, Majestic Farms provided blueberries for participants in Hockinsons’s annual pie-baking contest. Maren Scott, a Hockinson Heights Elementary School student, shocked the crowd and took the first-place ribbon for her baking skills. The festival’s subsequent pie-eating contest, accompanied by jazz played by Hockinson High School students, drew a massive crowd. Kelseyville Shappelle, Hockinson Main Street Team event coordinator, said the event was a great success for the local Hockinson and farmer community.

“It’s a great intersection of all that’s unique about Hockinson, such a strong sense of community, a strong heritage and tie to our farms, but most especially the best blueberries in Clark County,” Shappelle said.