2013 Lenox Rhubarb Festival

Due to cold (it was 42°) and pouring rain, the first ever Lenox Rhubarb Festival moved from Reading Park into the Welles Gallery. Special thanks to the Lenox Library for graciously making the space available to the Festival.

Despite the weather, approximately 300 people attended the Festival!

Lenox bakers, including Ventfort Hall, Gateways Inn, Haven Café, Brava (winner, Best Rhubarb Pie), and may residents donated coffee cake, quiche, crisps, tea loaves, granola, candy, fruit leather, and juice, all made with rhubarb.

Guido’s Fresh Marketplace donated fresh rhubarb, and Lenox horticulturalist, Scott Harrington, had rhubarb plants for sale and advice on growing it.

The first ever Rhubarb Chili Contest shone a spotlight on five Lenox restaurant chefs. Their creations demonstrated ways to include rhubarb in delicious savory cooking. Rhubarb, with its tart and tangy flavor, makes a great addition to soups, chilis, stews and other dishes.

Visitors bought a spoon for $5, got a taste of all the entries, and then used their spoon to vote for their favorite chili.

This year’s entrants were:

By a show of spoons, the Village Inn was the winner.