Hundreds of pounds of strawberries picked from the Afton Apple Orchard were sold at the annual Afton Strawberry Festival over the weekend.

The event honors the long & rich heritage of strawberry crops grown in the area since the 1800’s.

Teresa Dornseif, who works at Afton Apple Orchard, said all strawberries were freshly picked on both mornings of the two-day event. Dornseif adds despite the rain, growing strawberries this season has been good.

“They lay straw down for the moisture. But they’ve been doing it for 35 years, so they really know their stuff,” said Dornseif. “If they don’t like the way they taste, they’re not going out yet. So they watch their stuff very closely.”

The celebration goes beyond the juicy red berries. Organizers say it featured a blend of artists showcasing and selling their goods, plus plenty of family fun activities. 

“We got bounce houses, we got live music, we’ve got a storytime today, we have characters coming dressed up to greet the kids, we have over 80 vendors selling crafts and goods and food,” explained Heather Kield, the Afton event coordinator.

If you missed out on the 150-year-old tradition, you can join next year’s strawberry festivities, which are scheduled for June 28 and 29.