( pickfest harvest bluegrass festival --- only an orchard away )

pickfest harvest bluegrass festival: 
only an orchard away
 --- by jennifer hetrick

peeling its way just around the corner is frecon farms’ fourth annual pickfest harvest bluegrass festival slated for saturday the 9th of october from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

co-visionaries hank frecon and daniel bower mingled minds several years ago in believing that the boyertown area would be an ideal setting for fall fruits and a festive music scene, and from there, pickfest whisked to life.

“i’m the ramblers, and hank is the apples,” bower said with a perked laugh.

( three photographs above - by joshua smith )

bower’s band, the aforementioned manatawny creek ramblers, are the main musical ensemble scheduled to grace a hilly perch in the orchard at pickfest.

the ramblers are known for playing in front of enthusiastic crowds at union jack’s inn on manatawny in oley.

bower also handles the booking of musically persuaded entertainment at frecon’s hard bean café, which sits in a cozy sweep at 128 east philadelphia avenue in boyertown. the café carries locally favored apple cider straight from frecon farms and is whipping up some delectable twists on classics one steamed cup of cider at a time, well worth sipping in the brr-like months ahead.

with an ingrained penchant for soul-stirring bluegrass tunes, bower carefully picks bands each year to headline the festival.

accompanying the ramblers are fellswoop and the keystone mountain boys of lehigh valley along with the bloody springs bluegrass band.

marc silver & the stonethrowers, recently having played the mainstage at the philadelphia folk festival in schwenksville this year, will also be joining the bluegrass lineup at pickfest.

an open mic will run from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

“kids are welcomed and encouraged to sign up,” bower said, knowing the nearby lyons fiddle festival brings many young bluegrass musicians out of the woodwork each fall.

bower explained that they take a lot of inspiration with pickfest from the recently held lyons fiddle festival, hoping to possibly reel in some of its talented performers across all age groups.

“hank and i are trying to model our festival off of a lot of the strong points of the lyons fiddle festival,” bower said.

pickfest takes to life up at the crest of the hill in the orchard on the back of a 1952 flatbed truck, bower said.

the front of the makeshift stage is lined with hay, and kids roll around in it as bluegrass belts from frecon farms’ antique red truck.

( three photographs above - by karl mcwherter )

also at pickfest will be an on-site serenity center, hillbilly bbq, clayote, carriage rides, hay rides, possibly a cider garden, and more.

but of course, with apples in abundance, the pick your own apples angle of the day is the autumn pull here, with apples for sale by the pound.

available varieties are macintosh, gala, jonathan, red & golden delicious, rome, fuji, stayman winesap, and the ever-puckering granny smith.

pumpkins along with what’s left of the pear batches of barlett, red bartlett, canal red, and bosc may also still be ready for the picking as the season trails on into crisp days.

bower describes pickfest as “the perfect experience” in this berks county backdrop, with the hearty and alphabetical juxtaposition of apples and bluegrass. 

additional pickfest sponsors include everything postal and prout's jollyview farm.

tickets are $5 ahead of time and $8 the day of the event, with a rain-date of october 16th.

frecon farms is located at 501 south reading avenue in boyertown. visit them on the web for more information about pickfest.

(freebie alert ! comment on this story to enter for a chance to win the manatawny creek ramblers album meet me by the moonlight. 

please include your e-mail address in the comment. this contest ends sunday, october 10th. good luck !)