Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash.com

National Asparagus Festival in Oceana County

June 2027

In celebration of Oceana County’s most famous crop–the National Asparagus Festival of Oceana County is an annual event, held in mid-June in Hart and Shelby. 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.

A float in the Asparagus Festival Parade. | Photo by the National Asparagus Festival.

Fresh asparagus can be steamed or boiled for 5-8 minutes, so preparation is fast and easy. There are also many delicious recipes that include asparagus as an ingredient.

Only California and Washington produce more asparagus than Michigan.

Here's what happened in 2026:

Friday

  • 6-10pm – Kick-Off Party featuring an Asparagus Eating Competition at 6:30pm & live music by Your Generation at 7:30pm at the Oceana County Fairgrounds- 1025 S. State St., Hart
  • 8:30pm – Queen Crowning on stage

Saturday

  • 7:30am – Ryan Walsworth Spear-It 5k Run Registration – Day of race registration at Silver Lake Chicken Shack- 8343 W. Hazel Rd., Silver Lake. Pre-register at nationalasparagusfestival.org/5k.
  • 8:30-9:30am – Sign up for Farm Tour at the NAF Information Booth at the craft show, located directly in front of the Hart courthouse entrance.
  • 9am – Ryan Walsworth Spear-It 5k Run beginning at Silver Lake Chicken Shack.
  • 9am-1pm – The Friendship Ring Quilt Guild Quilt Show at Oceana County Council on Aging- 4250 W. Tyler Rd., Hart.
  • 9am-5pm – Arts & Crafts Fair on the Oceana County Courthouse lawn- 100 S. State St., Hart. Apply for the fair by clicking here.
  • 9:30am – Farm Tour beginning at the Hart Historic District- 570 Lincoln St., Hart. 
  • 10am-3pm – Hart Heritage Car Show in the Hart Historic District.
  • 11am-12:30pm – Parade Line-up/Staging at the Oceana County Fairgrounds- 1025 S. State St., Hart. Click here to register a float.
  • 11am-1pm – Taste of Asparagus in the Historic District (Shuttles available). Click here to apply.
  • 11am-2pm – Kid’s Zone with a bounce house, climbing tower, power jump, axe throwing, dunk tank and more on State Street, Hart.
  • 2pm – Joan Glover Royale Parade beginning at Oceana County Fairgrounds and ending near Hart Commons.
  • 3-5pm – Kid’s Zone with a bounce house, climbing tower, power jump, axe throwing, dunk tank and more on State Street, Hart.

Sunday

  • 7:30am-12:30pm – Fly-in Breakfast at the Oceana County Airport- 1805 W. Baseline Rd., Shelby

Stay tuned for information on the 2027 National Asparagus Festival!

For more information on the National Asparagus Festival, please contact the event organizer:

National Asparagus Festival Board of Directors

16 S. State St., Hart, MI  49431

231-861-8110

nationalasparagusfestival.org

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