Haverhill
“The season is really late this year because of the cold and the rain, but it looks like we’re going to have strawberries,” said Cunningham, chairwoman of the annual festival, which the First Congregational Church hosts on the town common.
Fortunately, the berries are ready for picking at Four Corners Farm in Newbury, Vt.
“Strawberries are picked on Friday, and Saturday morning bright and early the ladies are there in the kitchen of the parish hall,” preparing the strawberry shortcake which has “always been the featured food,” Cunningham said.
Proceeds from strawberry shortcake and sales of other refreshments such as hot dogs, baked beans and beverages, go toward “preserving and continuing the work of the church,” Cunningham said. A serving of shortcake costs $3.50.
Other events at the festival, which runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., include a Civil War encampment with the 6th New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry, an art and photography exhibit, a sponge toss game and a meet-and-greet with puppies representing a variety of dog breeds. Admission to the festival is free. For more information, contact Catherine Gherardi at 603-989-5823.
Also on Saturday, the Greater Hartford United Church of Christ in Hartford Village will hold its annual Strawberry Supper.
“If I remember correctly, it’s been happening since the early 1970s,” said Peggy McDerment, of Hartford Village.
“I have been known to hull the strawberries, to take the green leaves off and slice them, and I have also been one of the people who volunteered to boil potatoes,” said McDerment, who has been involved with the suppers since the 1970s. (“It’s been a long time anyway,” she said.)
On Wednesday, she had 10 pounds of potatoes in her Hartford Village home, waiting to be cooked and diced in preparation for Friday night, where members gather at the church to make the potato and macaroni salads.
Ruthie Ellis oversees the dining room and helps wait the nine tables during the supper’s two settings, at 5 and 6 p.m.
“There will be well over 90 for each one,” Ellis, of White River Junction, said.
Dishes include ham, baked beans, coleslaw, potato and macaroni salads and sweet breads.
“For dessert you can have a biscuit with strawberries and whipped cream on it or ice cream, or you can have a strawberry sundae,” said Barbara Bugbee, of White River Junction. “However you want your strawberries, we’ll do.”
The desserts are made to order at a table manned by volunteers in the dining area. The strawberries are purchased from local retailers, wherever the best price can be found.
“Back in younger years, we used to go and pick them ourselves,” Bugbee said. Most of the supper’s volunteers are in their 70s and 80s.
The menu has largely stayed the same throughout the decades. The baked beans, traditionally made by Ruth Lyman, are a supper favorite. In the past few years, Lyman has been unable to make the dish and Winnie Perkins has used Lyman’s recipe to make the 25 pounds of baked beans.
“She just had a natural touch to make the best beans in the world,” Perkins said.
The United Church’s strawberry supper is a fundraiser for the congregation, which also hosts a sugar-on-snow dinner, among other meals.
While the suppers are still popular, attendance has dropped off in recent years.
“It’s usually the older groups that come in,” Perkins said. “A lot of them are gone now.”
Perkins would like to see a turnout of at least 150 and “I’m hoping we can clear $1,000, but I’m hoping high.”
It’s a source of fellowship for the congregation and serves as a mainstay in Hartford Village.
Reservations can be made by calling Bugbee at 802-295-2510. The meal is $12 for adults, $5 for children under 12 and free for preschoolers. The church is located at 1721 Maple St., Hartford Village.
Upcoming Strawberry-Themed Events
On Saturday, June 24, the North Pomfret Congregational Hall will host its annual supper at Town Hall, at 5218 Pomfret Road. Reservations are recommended for the seatings, which are at 5, 6:15 and 7:30 p.m. The cost is $12 for adults and $5 for children under 10. For reservations, contact Betty Stetson at 802-457-1014.
On Saturday, June 24, from 5:30-7 p.m. the Orford Congregational Church at 617 Route 10 will host a supper featuring pulled pork, smoked brisket, chicken barbecue, baked beans and potato salad, followed at 7 p.m. by strawberry shortcake and a performance by the Newtown Military Band at the bandstand on the common. Admission to the dinner is by donation, and the strawberry shortcake is $5. For more information, call 603-353-4364 or 603-353-4220.
On Friday, June 30, from noon to 8:30 p.m., the Strawberry Festival and Band Concert will take place in Bradford, Vt. Strawberry treats, provided by the Masons, will be available for purchase beginning at noon, until sold out. Bring a chair or blanket to hear The Bayley Hazen Boys perform at 7 p.m., in a concert hosted by the Bradford Historical Society. The rain location is the Bradford Academy auditorium. For more information, call 802-222-1753.
On Saturday, July 1, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., the Summer Fair in New London will be held at St. Andrew’s Church at 52 Gould Road, and the town green. Strawberry shortcake will be available to purchase in addition to homemade baked goods, Vermont cheddar cheese, hot dogs and hamburgers. A dog parade will be held at 11 a.m. Items for sale include plants, homemade crafts, white elephants, books, CDs and DVDs. For more information, call 603-526-6344.
On Tuesday, July 4, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., strawberry shortcake with homemade biscuits and whipped cream will be available to purchase for $5 at the field by Smith’s Auction Gallery on Main Street in Plainfield, sponsored by the Plainfield Community Church. For more information, call 603-298-8913.
Editor’s note: Did we miss a strawberry-themed event? Let us know by emailing calendar@vnews.com.
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
