CiderDays celebrates its 27th year with more than 20 stops on this year’s “Cider Trail,” with area orchards and cider makers inviting you to explore the world of sweet cider, hard cider and apples on Saturday, Nov. 6, and Sunday, Nov. 7.
The colorful hills of Western Massachusetts and beyond offer 23 stops on this year’s Cider Trail with fresh-picked apples, sweet cider, hard cider, cider doughnuts, apple brandy and spirits. The Cider Trail has stops largely in Franklin, Hampshire and Berkshire counties, two stops in Worcester County and one over the border in Dummerston, Vt.
A full list of stops, descriptions of each location and information about special events can be found at ciderdays.org.
“Many commercial makers got their start at CiderDays,” said Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Marketing and Events Manager Lisa Davol. “The American Cider Association grew out of CiderDays and they normally have their annual meeting at the event each year, since their board of directors are makers from all over the country. It is great to see the impact this event has had on the craft beverage economy nation-wide.”
Historically held the first weekend in November, CiderDays has grown from humble roots into an internationally recognized event that draws visitors from the U.S., Canada and Europe. It features apple tastings, orchard tours, workshops on making sweet cider or fermenting hard cider, cooking demonstrations and more.
This is the second year, because of COVID-19, that the event has taken the form of a Cider Trail, a safer alternative to crowded indoor tastings and workshops. Some venues will host special events, including two Friday pre-CiderDays celebrations.
Pine Hill Orchards in Colrain will offer 4,000-plus gallons of cider for cidermakers to pick up during CiderDays weekend. Many amateur and commercial cider makers get their cider at Pine Hill each year. Pine Hill Orchard Manager Brady Shearer said they have been participating in CiderDays since its beginning, and cider makers will be on hand to answer cider-making questions and give out samples on that Saturday.
Pine Hill Orchards will feature at least four different varieties of freshly pressed cider, featuring specialty blends that can’t be purchased any other time of year, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 6. Cider sales can be picked up through a drive-thru system by following the signs at Pine Hill Orchard. The cider will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
“Generally we sell out of everything,” Shearer said, noting the event’s popularity.
At 1 p.m. on Nov. 6, Pine Hill Orchards will host an “all-star pruning workshop” with David Shearer and William Shearer. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. the orchard will also host “Pints @ Pine Hill” with a pop-up taproom from Artifact Cider Project out of Florence.
Clarkdale Fruit Farms in Deerfield will have a cider pressing demonstration at 10 a.m. and an orchard tour at 11 a.m. on Saturday and on Sunday, as well as cooking with apples demos with Erika Cooper, of Butter & Birch, at 11 a.m. and Sandy D’Amato, of Goodstock Farm, at noon.
Hall Tavern at Historic Deerfield will have a history workshop with an opportunity to sample some unique apple varieties (including Westfield’s Seek No Further from their own rare tree), see their historic cider press and make an apple pomander to take home. Apple-themed books for reading and a collection of historic apple recipes will also be available.
The second annual Wild and Seedling Pomological Exhibit will take place at Ashfield Community Hall on the Friday of CiderDays weekend. Taste more than 100 wild seedling accessions of the genus Malus and Pyrus from fruit explorers across the continent. This is a unique opportunity to introduce novel and undocumented varieties of pome fruit to the public.
West County Cider in Shelburne, famously the oldest running cider house in the country, will offer its legendary ciders, and access to the property’s hiking trails and picnic grounds with a three-state view throughout the weekend. At 11 a.m. on Saturday the cider house will host “Apple Diversity: Preserving and Increasing Our Botanical and Cultural Heritage with Ben Watson,” who will talk about “the origins and genetics of the modern apple, how it spread throughout North America, and how it is at risk today due to many factors: disease and pest pressure, loss of orchard lands and corporate food systems that offer us little choice in the market.” The presentation will also cover the ways we “can help promote great apples and preserve regional and cultural identity.”
On Sunday at 11 a.m., West County Cider will host “An Exploration of Wild Apple Foraging with Matt Kaminsky.” This discussion will focus on wild apples and “the art of foraging.” Participants are advised to come with some wild apples from their neck of the woods, or simply bring a sense of curiosity and look through some wild apple selections that will be on display.
West County Cider was started by Judith and Terry Maloney in 1984 with a commitment to making small-batch ciders with impeccable apples from local orchards. The pair, who arrived in Franklin County from California back in 1972, had a background in wine making and realized after moving to New England that apples were this region’s bounty. Thirty-five years later, the farm’s family has grown, but the tradition continues under the ownership of their son, Field Maloney.
In 1994, the Maloneys joined forces with the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and its then-President Ann Hamilton to hold the first Franklin County Cider Day. Today, the annual event is known for its hard fermented ciders and sweet, non-alcoholic ciders.
For more information on the upcoming CiderDays and a full list of participating locations and events, visit ciderdays.org.
■Ashfield Town Hall, Ashfield
■Apex Orchards, Colrain
■Artifact Cider Project, Florence
■Artisan Beverage Cooperative, Greenfield
■Ashfield Community Hall, Ashfield
■Bear Swamp Orchard, Ashfield
■Beaver Pond Distillery, Petersham
■Berkshire Cider Project, North Adams
■The Brewery at Four Star Farms, Northfield
■Cameron’s Winery, Northfield
■Carr’s Ciderhouse, Hadley
■Clarkdale Fruit Farms, Deerfield
■Cold River Package and Market, Charlemont
■Great Falls Discovery Center, Turners Falls
■Hall Tavern at Historic Deerfield
■Headwater Cider, Hawley
■New Salem Preserves & New Salem Cider, New Salem
■Pine Hill Orchards, Colrain
■Ragged Hill Cider Co., West Brookfield
■Scott Farm, Dummerston, Vt.
■Shelburne Falls Cork, Shelburne Falls
■Valley View Farm/Muse Cider Bar, Haydenville
■Wells Provisions, Charlemont
■West County Cider, Shelburne
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.