The Cream of the Crop

A Guide to Harvest Festivals

by Kelley Granger and photographs by Hillary Harvey, August 24, 2007

In autumn, communities are teeming with celebrations of the harvest. Whether beer, wine, cheese, chocolate, or baked goods, our region is well known for its abundance of agricultural producers and culinary artisans. Make like the black bear (who can feed up to 20 hours per day preparing for winter) and take advantage of the smorgasbord provided by one of this year’s many food and drink festivals.


Saratoga Wine and Food Festival

Do you worship Dionysus? Get in touch with your inner wine god and revel in three days of premium food and wine tasting at the Saratoga Wine and Food Festival. On Thursday, September 6, participating restaurants serve dinners paired with special wine selections, like the French-tinged regional cuisine of Sargo’s complemented by wines from Napa Valley’s Stag’s Leap winery. Besides the live music, food, and rare wine, Friday’s portion of the festival includes some selections no ancient ever got the chance to see—there’s a martini bar, a silent auction, and even wine-flavored ice creams, which come in flavors like peach white zinfandel and red raspberry chardonnay. Saturday’s Grand Tasting is the culmination of the event, with educational seminars by notable personalities of the food and wine industry and a demonstration by Chris Prosperi, chef at Metro Bis Restaurant of Simsbury, Connecticut, known for his innovative take on American bistro fare. Twenty restaurants will be preparing “palate-teasers,” and there will be one last opportunity to bid on luxuries, wine, and art at another silent auction.

Thursday, September 6, 6:30pm; dinners, $100-120 per person, call for participating locations. Friday, September 7, 7pm; Live on Stage, $150 per person, SPAC Amphitheater. Saturday, September 8, 12pm; Grand Tasting, $75 per person, on SPAC grounds. Saratoga Performing Arts Center, 108 Avenue of the Pines, Saratoga Springs. www.spac.org


New York’s Capital Region Vegetarian Expo

Meet the anti-meat at the Albany Vegetarian Network’s first annual Capital Region Vegetarian Expo this month. An array of vendors and entertaining, educational presentations illustrate the connection between a healthy lifestyle, awareness of the environment, and animal welfare. Presentations will be given by vegetarian nutrition expert George Eisman, as well as surgeon and heart-health advocate Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, among other vegetarian and vegan activists. Children can visit an educational kid’s corner, or make friends with the miniature horses of a local rescue organization. A range of over 100 vendors includes Little Moon Essentials, an all natural body care company; Cherrybrook Kitchens, purveyors of allergen-free baking mixes; Empire Solar Store, a resource for sustainable living; and Navitas Naturals, proprietors of indigenous, organic powder foods.
Saturday, September 15, 10am-6pm. Admission, parking, and food samples are free. Saratoga Springs City Center, 522 Broadway Street, Saratoga Springs. www.nyvegetarianexpo.expo.


Ommefest: Celebrating the Harvest

Ommegang brews up a festivity to toast the harvest with a abundance of food and beer. Catered by Red Lion, the menu consists of deep fried scallops, shrimp, and calamari; vegetable stew made from regional produce, locally produced roasted corn, ham with plum sauce, apple dumplings made from apples of the area, and hot cider from Fly Creek. There will also be live music at this family friendly function and opportunities to get “hoppy” with a tour of the brewery, which specializes in Belgian-style ales.

Saturday, September 15, 12-6pm. Brewery Ommegang, 656 County Highway 33, Cooperstown. www.ommegang.com.