National Asparagus Festival
In celebration of Oceana County's most famous crop--the National Asparagus Festival is an annual event, held in mid-June and alternates between the towns of Shelby and Hart. Asparagus was first cultivated in Greece, and is derived from the Greek word meaning "stalk" or "shoot."
Asparagus is perhaps a lesser-known vegetable than broccoli or carrots, but its nutritional value is one of the highest. It is a good source of folic acid, potassium, and fiber, contains no fat or cholesterol and has less than 5 calories per spear. Fresh asparagus can be steamed or boiled for 5-8 minutes, so preparation is fast and easy. Only California and Washington produce more asparagus than Michigan.
Here is a rundown of this year's activities:
Friday, June 11
Arts & Crafts Show, 11am-5pm, Oceana County Courthouse Lawn, Hart.
Children's Parade, 4pm, downtown Hart.
Family Fun Activities, 5-7pm, Hart Heritage District.
Fish Boil, 5-7pm, Hart Heritage District.
Teen Dance, 8-11pm, Hart Heritage District.
Saturday, June 12
Spear-it 5K Walk-Run, 9am, Silver Lake.
Arts & Crafts Show, 9am-5pm, Oceana County Courthouse Lawn, Hart.
Farm Tour, 10am, Buses leave from the NAF Information Tent.
"Taste of Asparagus," 11am, Knights of Columbus building in Hart.
NAF Royale Parade, 2pm, downtown Hart.
NAF Dinner, 5-7pm.
Silverado Band Concert, 4-7pm, Hart Historic Distrit.
DeWayne Spaw Concert, 7:30pm, Hart Historic District.
Sunday, June 13
NAF Fly-in Breakfast, 7:30am, Oceana County Airport between Hart & Shelby.
Poker Run, 11:30am, throughout Oceana County.
