Berries Ripe for Picking at Lyman's 12th Annual Berry Fest

Picking your own berries with a picturesque backdrop of hillside fields is the highlight activity at ' mid-summer Berry Festival, July 14, from 8am to 4pm. will feature acres of fresh and delicious Blueberries, Peaches, and tangy-sweet Jostaberries, and a full day of family fun. 

Plan to start with Breakfast on the Deck at Lyman's Apple Barrel market. Spend the rest of the day enjoying great free food samples, pie-eating contests, pony rides, horse-drawn wagon rides, and other fun-filled events for the whole family. The daylong Berry Fest also offers free face painting for children, and country music by CJ West & Great Train Band performing live on the Apple Barrel deck, from 1 to 3pm. 

New to Berry Fest this year, several interactive family adventure games are planned for players of all ages. Teams of from two to five players each compete for fun and prizes. Participants will need to think creatively, work cooperatively and act quickly to take home the honors of team victory. Empower Leadership Sports and Adventure Center from Middletown will supervise and officiate these lively competitions, destined to become a feature activity at all Lyman Berry Fests to come.  

"We're exited to have Empower join us this year for Berry Fest,” said John Lyman III, Executive Vice President of Lyman Orchards and 8th generation Lyman family member. “Joe DeRing and his team have really done a nice job creating an exciting family-oriented activity in Middletown and we know that our customers of all ages are going to love the activities that Empower has created for Berry Fest.” 

Lyman’s bakery, located at the Apple Barrel market, will celebrate the day with fresh, hand-made and mouth-watering berry desserts for sampling and purchase. Special Bumbleberry pies filled with sliced apples, cherries, sweet raspberries, plump blackberries and blueberries will be on sale. The Bakery will also provide complimentary tastes of specialty desserts such as tri-berry muffins, and other select hand-made pies throughout the day.

The Outdoor Grill at the Apple Barrel will be open for hotdogs, hamburgers, fried dough pizza, pulled pork, berry shortcakes, ice cream sundaes and more, from 11:30 - 4pm. For those who wish to test their cooking and baking skills in their own kitchens, complimentary Lyman family heritage recipes are available at the Apple Barrel market throughout Berry Fest. 

More than 1,100 acres in size, Lyman Orchards is the forth most visited attraction in Connecticut. “Berry Fest visitors come here from throughout the region and pick fruit to eat now, to share in the days after, or to use for cooking and baking for months to come" said Mr. Lyman. "Fresh-picked berries are the perfect ingredient in pies, pancakes, smoothies, scones, salads, even grilling sauces and more. Our visitors will also savor memories of the Pick-Your-Own experience for a lifetime."

The Summer schedule of fun family events and activities at Lyman Orchards will continue after Berry Fest with the opening of the Sunflower Maze on July 28th followed by the Peach Fest on August 18th. Lyman’s nationally famous Corn Maze opens on September 3rd. Both of Lyman’s popular agricultural harvest mazes help raise funds for Connecticut non-profit causes. 

For more information about Lyman Orchards' Berry Fest and all other summer events, call Lyman Orchards at 860-349-1793, or visit the website at  www.lymanorchards.com. Sign up for timely crop alerts, too. See Lyman's Facebook page or call the Event and Pick-Your-Own Hotline at 860-349-6015 for up-to-date information on peak picking times and crop availabilities.

Press release