GREENFIELD — The Strawberry Festival and Craft Show is an annual rite of spring in Upper Township, celebrating the juicy red fruit.
This year’s edition is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 27, at the Gandy Farmstead, 26 Tyler Road in Greenfield.
Presented by the Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township, the Strawberry Festival features plenty of fresh, locally grown strawberries for sale by the quart.
Event organizer Linda Leonard said there would be a wide variety of venders selling strawberry bread, strawberry jam and other treats, while HPSUT volunteers would be serving strawberry shortcake.
Butterworth Farm will be selling fresh-cut flowers and re-enactors will be demonstrating crafts such as glass- and basket-making.
Leonard said a woman who spins yarn from alpacas would be demonstrating spinning and some youngsters would be showing children how to play games from the past.
Festival food selections this year include hot dogs, soda and water.
Linda and Ollie will provide live music.
The event also features a variety of handmade crafts and other items for sale, as well as nonprofit organization this year.
HPSUT spokesman Ralph Cooper said the Green Team is going to have a filling station for water from the farmstead well.
Cooper said they got the unit from the Margate Green Team and first used it during last fall’s Apple Fest.
“People will get to drink historic water from the Gandy Farmstead,” Cooper said.
The Green Team also borrowed a bubble machine to encourage blowing bubbles as an alternative to releasing helium-filled balloons for special occasions.
“Living at the shore, we all know where they come down,” Cooper said, noting students from the Environmental Club at Ocean City High School would be working the bubble machine.
In addition, the Upper Township Business Association will be distributing its free Upper Township Guide produced by the Sentinel newspaper group.
Leonard said they are hoping for good weather since rain forced them to sell all of the strawberries from inside the Gandy house last year.
A rain date is scheduled for Sunday, May 28.
Free parking is available just across Tyler Road.
Leonard said Volunteer docents will be on hand in the Gandy house and barn areas, sharing information about the historic sites. Structures at the site include a windmill, ice house and woodshed.
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
