The 4th Annual Lenox Rhubarb Festival

Saturday, June 10, 2017

The 4th Annual Lenox Rhubarb Festival was held on a warm, sunny day, in Reading Park and under pop-up tents along Main Street. It included:

  • the second annual Rhubarb Pancake Breakfast,
  • the Rhubarb Chili Contest starring the culinary creations of three local chefs, and
  • the Rhubarb Celebration and Sale featuring rhubarb pies and other treats, rhubarb soda,  rhubarb ice cream, recipe books, rhubarb plants, and fresh rhubarb.

Thank you to all of our fantastic volunteers, vendors, and especially to the attendees.  We hope to see you all again next year!

Attendance was down somewhat, to 700 visitors, due to the change in date.  Previously held over Memorial Day weekend, the Festival was moved to the second Saturday in June in large part because more rhubarb is available. But also, Lenox businesses were already busy on Memorial Day Weekend, and it is everyone’s hope that bringing visitors to Lenox on the off weekend between Memorial Day and the opening of Tanglewood will be better for local businesses.

Rhubarb Pancake Breakfast

A traditional pancake breakfast, with a twist – Rhubarb!

Once again, Church on the Hill volunteers hosted a rhubarb pancake breakfast next to the chapel at 55 Main Street, offering pancakes with rhubarb sauce, sausages, juice, and coffee.

Rhubarb Celebration and Sale

A variety of sweet and savory rhubarb delicacies, as well as fresh local rhubarb, rhubarb recipe booklets and rhubarb plants were available for purchase.

Participating Vendors:

The Barefoot Gardener (Lenox, MA) selling Rhubarb plants

les collines (Craryville, NY) selling Rhubarb jams and preserves

Katie’s Jewelry (Pittsfield, MA) selling Rhubarb themed earrings and magnets

Mary’s Kitchen (Lenox, MA) selling Strawberry-Rhubarb pies

The Scoop (Lenox, MA) selling Rhubarb ice cream and sorbet

Sweat Treats (_______, MA) selling Rhubarb jams and preserves

The Sweetish Baker (Great Barrington, MA) selling Strawberry-Rhubarb pies

Trinity Church (Lenox, MA) selling fresh local Rhubarb

Ventfort Hall (Lenox, MA) selling Rhubarb juice, fresh Rhubarb, and the “Tea at the Museum” cookbook

Savory Rhubarb Contest

This year’s Rhubarb Chili Contest ran from 10:00 am until nearly 2:00 pm in Library Park, 18 Main Street, Lenox. Three chefs from Lenox restaurants offered a variety of unique takes on chili, ranging from the traditional to the very different.

The winner this year was:

These Lenox restaurants also contributed delicious rhubarb chilis:

The Tanglewood Brass Octet

The Tanglewood Brass Octet, led by trombonist Mike Oft of Lenox Dale, played a variety of crowd-pleasing, popular tunes for an hour in the middle of the festival.

Rhubarb On The Menu

The adventurous folks who visited these Lenox restaurants found some fantastic appetizers, entrées, or desserts (or all three) featuring Rhubarb, as well as rhubarb cocktails and rhubarb beer (yes, that’s a thing).

Bagel & Brew

Bistro Zinc

Brava

Chocolate Springs Café

Firefly Gastropub

Haven Café

Shots Café

Rhubarb Around Town

Visitors to these stores found some Rhubarb merchandise for sale:

Lenox Natural Foods (Fresh Rhubarb)

The Lenoxology Store (Rhubarb T-Shirts)

Nejaime’s Wine Cellar (Rhubarb beer)

The Scoop (Rhubarb ice cream and sorbet)

Yankee Candle (Radish & Rhubarb scented candles)

Also participating were:

Joane Cornell Fine Jewelry

Laurie Donovan Designs