National Blueberry Festival

National Blueberry Festival
South Haven Blueberry Festival
Statusactive
Genrefood festival
FrequencyAnnually
Location(s)South Haven, Michigan
Coordinates42°24′11″N 86°16′25″W / 42.40306°N 86.27361°W / 42.40306; -86.27361
CountryUnited States
Years active60–61
Inaugurated1963 (1963)
AttendanceFamily and local community
Websitewww.blueberryfestival.com

The National Blueberry Festival, also known as the South Haven Blueberry Festival, is held in South Haven, Michigan every year in August.It is annually hosted every second weekend in the Month of August. [1] It is one of the longest-running blueberry festivals in the United States and began calling itself a national festival in 1969.[2]

There are about nearly 50,000 people that attend every year.[3]

Many events were reduced in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background

The National Blueberry festival was initially conceived by locals to honor the blueberry harvest.[4] This event holds significance as South Haven is a major hub for blueberry production. There are parades, live music performances, arts and crafts shows, a classic car show, and even blueberry-themed athletic competitions.[5]

Ripe blueberry ready to be harvested.
  1. ^ "It's blueberry time in Grand Haven". Chicago Sun-Times. July 12, 1987. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
  2. ^ "South Haven's 45th National Blueberry Festival celebrates more than just berries". Kalamazoo Gazette. August 4, 2008. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
  3. ^ The Blueberry Festival Official Page
  4. ^ Sargent, Steven A.; Takeda, Fumiomi; Williamson, Jeffrey G.; Berry, Adrian D. (2021). "Harvest of Southern Highbush Blueberry with a Modified, Over-the-Row Mechanical Harvester: Use of Soft-Catch Surfaces to Minimize Impact Bruising". Agronomy. 11 (7): 1412. doi:10.3390/agronomy11071412.
  5. ^ "The National Blueberry Festival". West Michigan Tourist Association. Retrieved 2023-12-05.