Tom’s Berry Festival, an annual tradition at Tom’s Berry Patch just outside of Banks, will be held Saturday, July 13 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A recent tradition in the historic Greenville community located just outside of Banks, the festival has grown, and, in addition to discounted berry prices of $2.25 per pound, there will be tractor-pulled barrel rides (Banks BBQ connoisseurs will recognize the blue barrel train), vendors, a salsa competition (the food, not the dance), games for kids, a pie-eating contest and more.
Started in 2018 to celebrate the ten year anniversary of the farm’s U-pick opening, the festival, after a pandemic break, has grown. In 2018, a blueberry picking competition and a piemaking contest were the main attraction.
Now, it’s becoming an attraction for the whole family, said Kristen Duyck Vance, who has been managing the berry stand for years and, along with her husband Harold, began taking over harvesting and managing the farm from her father, Tom Duyck, in 2020.
“I wanted to go back to my roots more and have something for kids and families,” Vance said during a brief interview at the farm.
“I just want more of that community, family feel,” she said.
About a half-dozen vendors will be present, including a face painting booth, baked goods, and more. For kids games, ticketed at $1 to $2, there’s a ball toss, spinner games, a duck pond and more.
Barbecued hot dogs will be available for purchase, and there’s a pie eating contest, too.
Find out more about the festival by visiting Tom’s Berry Patch on Facebook and by viewing their website.
Tom’s Berry Patch is located at 43775 NW Greenville Road.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Banks Post and sister news publications the Gales Creek Journal and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.