May 18, 2016

CCCGA to honor 200th anniversary of cranberry growing

Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association (CCCGA) will commemorate 2016 as the 200th anniversary of commercial cranberry growing in Massachusetts this fall.  The occasion also marks the launch of the association’s newly created educational traveling exhibit, Rhapsody in Red:  200 Years of Cranberry Growing in Massachusetts. The exhibit will be available on tour to organizations throughout the region beginning late summer.

Several events honor the 200th anniversary, including the Cranberry Harvest Celebration, celebrating its 13th year in Wareham over Columbus Day Weekend, Oct. 8-9.

As the Commonwealth’s number one food crop, cranberries are harvested in Massachusetts from 13,250 acres of producing bogs and more than 60,000 acres of additional support land. According to CCCGA, recent studies noted the multiplier effect on southeastern Massachusetts, finding the cranberry industry to provide nearly 7,000 jobs and $1.4 billion in revenue annually to the Massachusetts economy.

The Cranberry Harvest Celebration visitors will see educational and historical displays, landscape vistas and the harvest by taking a helicopter ride, live cooking demonstrations, an exhibitors marketplace, local live music, children’s activities, a farmers’ market and food concessions. The Celebration is co-sponsored by the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association and Ocean Spray on the grounds of A.D. Makepeace Company. For details on the festival, visit the Cranberry Harvest Festival Facebook page.

For the latest updates on Massachusetts cranberries or association news, visit the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association website.