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
129: Cider Dinner w/Carlo Hein | Ramborn Cider Co, Luxembourg [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:41
Carlo Hein has always loved cider. That cider love and perhaps his work in renovation and sustainable energy spurred him and his friends to start a cidery. Upon noticing the fallen fruit and neglected apples trees in his…
128: Cider Wins Big | Beer Competition, Boston [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:09
Cider won big at the 23rd Annual Home-brew Competition held in Boston and put on by the Wort Processors - a home-brew club. Tom Bell's New World Cider won both Best in Show for cider and placed 3rd in the Best Overall in…
127: Western Michigan's Ridge Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:26
Matt DeLong grew up making cider and what he once called "Apple Wine". Western Michigan has what is known as the wine trail and there are lots of fruit wines, so it is no surprise that Matt first considered a career in t…
126: Little Pomona's Big Ciders | Herefordshire, UK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:36
Little Pomona's makers and founders, Susanna and James Forbes have a long history with libations. James worked as a wine buyer and marketer, while Susanna who started in physics became one of the UK's leading libation wr…
125: Prez. Vander Heide | USACM & Vander Mill [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:08
Paul Vander Heide opened Vander Mill a cidery based in Spring Lake Michigan in 2008. Some might think that 3000 square feet is a good size for a start up cidery and they would be right. But as Paul reminisces in this cha…
124: No input apples at Big Fish Cider | Virginia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:41
Kirk Billingsley has been charmed by cider ever since he was a kid. Coming home from school he fondly remembers being mentored by his dad who had a barrel of sweet cider (non fermented apple juice) outside the family's h…
123: The Perry Farmer in Loré, France [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:41
Poiré Fermier is French for Perry Farmer, which is only part of the story for the featured guest in this episode 123. Cidermaker Philippe and wife Marie-Claire Derouault also manage a herd of dairy cows who graze and laz…
122: Cider Behind the Scene in Normandy, France [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:47
Find this episode with photos and show notes and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Cider enthusiast Michel Dargent hosted Ria at his home in September 2017. Monsieur Dargent is a cider aficionado, makin…
121: Keeving Perry | Tieton Cider Works, WA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:18
Tieton Cider Works was founded by Marcus Roberts and is based in Yakima Washington. Tieton works with Harmony Orchards which has 55 acres of cider apples and perry pears. Marcus who takes a scientific approach to making…
120: Trevor Baker | Noble Cider, North Carolina [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:54
Noble Cider in Asheville, North Carolina opened in 2013 after Trevor Baker lost his job in online retail. He wasn't a cidermaker at the time, but he and his wife Joanna both enjoyed drinking cider. After taking a ciderma…