197: Top 5 Picks for Franklin County CiderDays

197: Top 5 Picks for Franklin County CiderDays

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist October 16, 2019 Duration: 48:13

Top 5 Picks for Franklin County CiderDays

Franklin County CiderDays takes place on the first weekend of November every year as it has been for the past 25 years.

Yes, this November 1-3, 2019 is the 25th Annual and the number of events taking place across the county are outstanding.

Download CiderDays schedule

Here are my Top 5 Picks if your time is limited and/or you are wondering what to do during this epic fest.

CiderDays sign

In this chat we go with #5 to #1

5. 2nd Annual New England Cider Tour October 31st

8am - 6:30pm Start and End point Greenfield, MA

New England Cider Tour

4. Cider Pub Sing 7:30 - 9pm November 1st

9pm The Crowning of Pomona with Judith Maloney of West County Cider

Location: Episcopal Church Parish Hall, the back hall of Saint James Church

8 Church St, Greenfield, MA

3. Cider Salon, November 2nd

3:30 - 5:00 Cider Salon I: Tasting of Ciders from across N. America $35/ticket Unity Park, Turners Falls

5:45 - 7:15 Cider Salon II: Tasting of Ciders from across N. America $35/ticket Unity Park, Turners Falls

2. Peckville Road, Greenfield

Take a drive up Peckville Road and stop at West County Cider and Apex Orchard

Take a walk in the orchard

Views looking out to New Hampshire and Mount ManadnockCiderDay sign - Ria's Making cider workshop

#1 Pick if you can only do one thing?

Find the Apple Pretzels in each tree in the orchard at New Salem Preserves & Heritage Cider and see one of the oldest Perry Pear trees in the US!Apple Pretzels at New Salem Preserves and Heritage Cider

Location:

67 S Main St

New Salem, Massachusetts

Extra Bonus offerings at CiderDays to check out!

Author Book Signings November 2

Ben Watson: Cider Hard and Sweet 2-3pm

John Bunker Apples and the Art of Detection 4:30-5:30pm

Michael Phillips The Hollistic Orchard, The Apple Grower, Mycorrhizal Planet 4:30-5:30

Location: Two Birds

  • 106 Avenue A
  • Turners Falls, Massachusetts 01376
  • 413) 863-5782

Exhibit: 25 Years of CiderDays October 25 - November 6, 2019

Over twenty-five years, CiderDays has evolved to a three day, county-wide festival celebrating the apple in all of its forms and providing sessions on every aspect of apple usage. The Great Falls Discovery Center hosts an exhibition of historic cider presses and images that honor the orchards, producers and enthusiasts who have advanced the art of cidermaking. Sponsored by the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. November 1-3, 2019. For a full schedule visit: ciderdays.org.

Great Falls Discovery Center

  • Hours: 10 am - 4pm
  • Free

Location:

  • 2 Avenue A
  • Turners Falls MA 01376
  • 413-863-3221

Mentions in this Chat

Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving!

Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts.

 


There’s a whole world in a glass of cider, and Cider Chat is your invitation to explore it. Hosted by award-winning cidermaker and writer Ria Windcaller, this podcast travels far beyond the bottle to meet the people who make the global cider culture so vibrant. Each conversation is a journey-you might find yourself in a heritage orchard learning the history of forgotten apple varieties, in a bustling taproom with an importer explaining regional traditions, or in a kitchen with a chef pairing cider with unexpected foods. The discussions get into the delightful nuances, too, whether that’s the semantics of what we even call this drink or how the concept of terroir translates from soil to sip. It’s not just about production; it’s about the community, the travel, and the stories that fermentation unlocks. This is for anyone curious about the craft, history, and sheer enjoyment of fermented apple juice in all its forms. So, pour a glass and settle in for a series that feels like a wide-ranging, informative, and genuinely good-humored chat with friends who happen to be obsessed with cider. You’ll come away with a deeper appreciation for every effervescent, tart, or sweet sip, hearing directly from the growers, makers, and enthusiasts who are shaping this drink’s exciting present and future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 501

Cider Chat
Podcast Episodes
149: Pro Tips for attending Franklin County CiderDays | MA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:51
Sign up for the New England Cider Tour November 1st! The first Franklin County CiderDays began as a one day event on the first Saturday of November. The year was 1994. It has been held on the first weekend of November ev…
148: UN Makers at Kings Mill Cider | Ontario [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:35
Kees Morsink and Margaret Van Helvoort have traveled the world as United Nations aid workers in Africa where they were fermenting everything from yogurt to mango and even doing some distilling. Cider isn't new to these t…
147: Sightseeing in Paris | CCLive [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:45
What do you do before a cider tour sets sail from Paris to Normandy? You take in the city of lights, sounds and sights. River Tour by Eiffel Tower This episode is a Cider Chat Live recording - I had limited time, so this…
146: Cider Tour 2018 Netherlands | CCLIVE [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:48
Cider Touring 2018 Netherlands | CCLive Mini clips of travels and tips while in Amsterdam in September. Anne Frank's house A visit to Apples en Peren in Amsterdam Then on to the Vondelpark to visit the Medlar tree Medlar…
145: 1 Guy & 6 Girls | Sietsema Cider, MI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:49
Andy Sietsema comes from a long line of apple growers in the Grand Rapids area of Michigan. He is a fourth generation farmer and now a professional cidermaker at Sietsema Cider. Since launching the cidermaking operation…
144: New England Cider Tour & Dinner | November 1, 2018 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:59
New England is comprised of 6 states, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and is home to some of the United States' oldest commercial cideries. In what is known as western Massachusett…
143: Perry & Cider at Windswept | Georgian Bay, CA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:10
There is Perry being made in Georgian Bay, Ontario! Windswept Orchard Cider is 2 years old (founded in 2016) and is the creation of Mark Skinner, wife Courtney and their two kids. This couples background is culinary cook…
142: SoCal Irreverence at Ironbark Ciderworks, CA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:34
Ironbark Ciderworks in Claremont, California opened its Tasting Room doors to the public in November of 2017. The large inviting Tasting Room has conical stainless steel tanks to one side and room for musicians to anothe…
141: Cider Lunch at Heartwood Farm & Cidery | Ontario [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:43
Val Steinmann and Brent Klassen moved from the city to the 42 acre farm that is now called Heartwood Farm and Cidery in 2004. In the past 14 years, they created pasture and now have a herd of 20 cows each summer. They ha…
140: Commercial Cidermaking | Niagara College, Ontario [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:04
Niagara College has two locations in Ontario, Canada. This chat features the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus which has a fully licensed winery on site (which is what is needed to make cider in Canada). It is here that past st…