Hundreds Of Pies, Scones, Muffins And More At Annual Blueberry Festival

DARLINGTON, MD — More than 200 blueberry pies, along with sweet blueberry sauce, scones, muffins and more await visitors to the 28th Annual Blueberry Festival on June 27.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine, at the Deer Creek Friends Meetinghouse, located at 1212 Main St.

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“The June 27 date is a few weeks earlier than in the past,” said festival chairperson Mary Scarborough Maccarelli. “We moved the date because it seems blueberries are ripening earlier."

Michael Blum told Patch that making pie crusts starts a month before the event with sights set on baking more than 200 pies.

"The actual filling and baking occurs in the week leading up to it. At least five different cooks work on pie-making and there’s more than just blueberry pies — there are scones, buns, breads, other pies. However, we sell no pies that must be refrigerated, so, no creams or meringue or custards, due to health department regulations, and all pies sold come with a schedule of ingredients. Mary Maccarelli characterizes the bakers as 'Friends and friends of Friends.”

Scarborough Maccarelli noted that the baked goods sell quite quickly at the annual festival

"Besides the popular homemade blueberry pies, there will be gluten-free and sugar-free options, fresh blueberries, slices of blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream and sweet blueberry sauce, scones, cakes, muffins and more," she said.

There will be upwards of 200 quart containers of fresh blueberries sold at the festival, which are purchased in bulk from Amish growers. Nowadays, there aren't enough blueberry farms in the area to provide the fresh blueberries, Blue said.

"Originally, of course, that’s exactly how it was done - the committee members would go to these farms and pick the blueberries. But as the festival grew, that became impossible," Blum told Patch.

The annual blueberry festival is free to attend and will feature live music by Matt Kineke; an “Ask a Friend” table for questions about Quakerism; a make-a-bouquet bar; Susquehanna Beekeepers' information table; a book sale; historical display about the history of the Meetinghouse, which is more than 200 years old; children’s games; a "White Elephant” tent; a silent auction; and grilled hotdogs and local beef burgers. Local artist John Sauers will be on site, displaying and selling his paintings of Harford County.

Proceeds from the Blueberry Festival will go to support local organizations such as the Darlington Volunteer Fire Company, the Hosanna School, Char-Hope Farm and others.