The annual Bennington Rhubarb Festival, with its traditional baking contest and Rhubarb Hollering Contest, is back this weekend with events at Sawyer Memorial Park on Route 202 Friday through Sunday.
The festival kicks off Friday night, June 3, with live music by Wendy Keith and Her Alleged Band. Attendees can enjoy concessions and live music, and form a team for a dodgeball tournament. There will be mixed-age teams of between eight to 10 players.
Entries for all contests except the pie contest are being accepted from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, including the rhubarb and spring flower arrangement contest. Prizes will be awarded for a rhubarb flower arrangement, which can include one flower or several, but should only include rhubarb flowers. There is also a separate category for a spring flower arrangement, which can include any collection of spring flowers, but must include rhubarb flowers or foliage.
Prizes will also be awarded for rhubarb artwork and photography in both youth and adult categories. Artwork can include any medium, including paintings, drawings, quilts, knitted or crocheted items and sculpture. Artwork must be submitted on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. in the exhibit tent at Sawyer Park. Photography entries should be framed and ready to hang.
For the rhubarb-growers, submit entries for Rhubarb Superlatives. Prizes will be awarded for the longest stalk,” and widest leaf for both professional and amateur growers.
On Saturday, June 4, residents can drop off entries for the pie contest between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. Festivities begin at 10 a.m. The Pierce School PTO will be selling fresh-squeezed lemonade and rhubarb lemonade Saturday, with proceeds to go to a new playground for the elementary school.
Judging for the pie contest will begin at 10 a.m. Prizes will be awarded for the King Arthur Baking Contest as well as a professional baking contest. All pies must be 100% rhubarb, in disposable pans. Pies can be one or two crusts, and must be in a 9-inch pan for the King Arthur Baking Contest. Prizes will be awarded for first through third place.
Leftover portions of pie will be sold at the Friends of the GEP Dodge Library bake sale to benefit the library. Custard or pies requiring refrigeration will not be accepted.
Throughout the day, there will be food concessions, an activity tent for children, a story walk, and a World War II re-enactment unit. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., craft vendors will be selling their wares, and there will be a farmers’ market. The Friends of the GEP Dodge Library will be holding a bake sale and book sale.
For children, local 4-H members and local farms will provide animals for a petting zoo.
At noon, people can test their rhubarb knowledge with rhubarb trivia. At 1 p.m., join the hollering contest, where the loudest yell to “Come get your rhubarb!” wins in male, female and child categories.
On Saturday, by 9 a.m., participants may submit a “market basket” of homemade or home-grown items, including rhubarb stalks, for judging based on the attractiveness of the arrangement, the variety and number of rhubarb items. Contestants may offer their basket for sale at the conclusion of the festival.
At 3 p.m., there will be a children’s rhubarb parade.
From 5 to 8 p.m., there will be a cornhole tournament. Entry is $50 per team, paid in advance. The tournament is limited to 20 teams. There will be cash prizes for the top three teams, determined by the number of paid entries. Participants can register at lionsclub.ubpages.com/cornhole.
Live music will be provided Saturday by Stuck in Time.
On Sunday, June 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be craft vendors and a farmers’ market, concession stands, children’s activities and story walk and croquet.
Dogs are welcomed to Friday night’s festivities, but will not be allowed on Saturday or Sunday. For information about activities, visit townofbennington.com/moreaboutus/48-rhubarb-festival.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.