Welcome to the Blueberry/Art Festival
Two of the busiest days of the year in Ely occur in July. The Fourth is a great American celebration of our country’s freedom. This weekend we celebrate people coming to town for the Blueberry/Art Festival.
Even in this newspaper you’ll find the name of the event misused as the Blueberry Arts Festival. That’s understandable even if it’s incorrect. There are plenty of blueberry related products to be found here this weekend.
Each of us may have our own favorite, from blueberry pancakes to blueberry pie to blueberry bratwurst (seriously, Zup’s makes blueberry bratwurst).
All of those blueberry products for sale this weekend fit in nicely with the artists who may or may not include a blueberry theme to their work.
Take a stroll through the park and you’ll be amazed by the variety of items being handcrafted and/or available for sale in the booths that seem to magically pop up the Thursday before the event.
We welcome everyone who comes to town for the Festival and hope they take time to enjoy the real treasures available from our local merchants. The Festival was originally located right on Chapman Street but soon outgrew the space.
The Festival may be headquartered in the park but our local merchants have their shelves filled with plenty of choices (including blueberry related).
The Blueberry/Art Festival takes a community to put together and each year we’re amazed at the volunteers who make it happen. To bring in large crowds over three days is a task in itself, especially in a small town.
This year there may be some added congestion due to the Eighth Avenue East construction project. But we know people will find places to park and won’t mind a bit of an extra walk.
Be sure to stop by the Ely Arena as well. There’s free parking and over 50 vendors there. This is a fundraiser for the local hockey team and worth a stop (especially if the weather doesn’t want to cooperate).
Enjoy the Festival and be sure to take a good look around Ely. This is a great community to come to visit but it’s an even better one to locate your business in and call home.
