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51st Annual National Asparagus Festival set for Saturday
By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor
HART — Every year thousands of people flock to Oceana County to celebrate asparagus season in the “Asparagus Capital of the World.”
Oceana County is the top producer of asparagus in Michigan, accounting for about 80 percent of Michigan’s asparagus production, and Michigan is the leading producer in the country.
Asparagus season is in full swing right now in Oceana County, where nearly 20 million pounds are harvested annually.
This weekend’s National Asparagus Festival (NAF) celebrates the huge harvest.
The festival’s highlight event is the Joan Glover Royale Parade, which begins Saturday, June 8, at 2 p.m. A change at the end of the route this year allows for a centralized area downtown. Instead of continuing down State Street to East Main Street, the parade will turn left at the traffic light. “We will have State Street shut down from Washington to Main, because we will have all the kids’ activities, food vendors, and entertainment there,” said NAF Board President Michele Amstutz. “It’s a good way to centralize it with the entertainment and the social district. We’ll see how it goes and reevaluate it for next year.”
West Michigan meteorologist and TV personality George Lessens will serve as the parade grand marshal and a judge for the Taste of Asparagus competition.
For the first time in nearly 50 years, there will not be an asparagus queen due to a lack of applicants. “This year, we will have past queens on our float, which we’re very excited about. It gives them an opportunity to get their crown and sash back out, and we can highlight past our queens,” said Amstutz, who was the asparagus queen in 2008.
The queen cancellation “sparked interest” among community members in rekindling the queen pageant. “Hopefully, we will have a whole slew of ladies next year.”
The parade will take place “rain or shine” — unless there is thunder and lightning.
Saturday’s events kick off with the Ryan Walsworth Spear-It 5K, which is held in memory of Ryan Walsworth, a local asparagus farmer a donor to the asparagus festival and Oceana’s agriculture industry. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and the race begins at 9 a.m. at the Chicken Shack in Silver Lake.
The Taste of Asparagus competition is an opportunity for asparagus lovers to share their favorite asparagus dishes and compete for monetary prizes. The competition involving both commercial and non-commercial entrants is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the Hart Historic District Heritage Hall. Non-commercial cooks win $250 for first place and $100 for second place, said Amstutz.
The dish receiving the most votes from a panel of three judges will be declared the overall winner of each division. The public will also vote for their favorite asparagus dish, and the winner will receive the coveted People’s Choice Award. Categories include: appetizer, salad or side dish, main dish and dessert. In addition to Lessens, the other two judges will be 2023 Asparagus Queen Emma Woller and local chef Ryan Santellan.
Approximately 50 artists and crafters are signed up for the arts and crafts show on the Oceana County Courthouse lawn Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
An asparagus farm tour is set for 9:30 a.m. with registration at 8:30 a.m. near the Hegg’s building on East Main Street.
The Scottville Clown Band will perform in the parade and then in the entertainment area following the parade. Nautic Bound plays at 4 p.m., followed by Jesse Ray and the Carolina Catfish at 6:30 p.m. The kids’ play area will feature bounce houses and games provided by local fire departments. The firefighters will also have some fire trucks for the children to tour.
A dunk tank and ax throwing are some other fun activities. Hart Rotary Club is offering the dunk tank to raise money for the new Spitler Elementary School playground. Dunk tank participants include: Hart Rotary President Austin Garcia from 11 a.m to noon; United Way Executive Director Barbara Sims from noon to 1 p.m.; Hart Rotary member Penny Burillo from 12:30-1 p.m.; District Health Department #10 Public Health Educator Phillip Santellan from 1-2 p.m.; Hart Area Public Library Librarian Betsy Cory from 3-4 p.m.; and Hart City Manager Rob Splane from 4-5 p.m.
The Asparagus Fly-In Pancake Breakfast is set for Sunday, June 9, from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Oceana County Airport, at 1805 W. Baseline Rd. in Shelby Township. There will be aircraft displays and door prizes.
For more information about the events, visit the national asparagus festival website.
OCP file photos from NAF 2023
The parade route map for this year’s festival.
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