Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash.com

National Asparagus Festival in Oceana County

June, 2024

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.

Colonial Golf Course
Oceana Golf Club

Here's a typical schedule for the event:

Friday

  • 5:30pm – Family Fun Friday including kids movie at the Ladder Community Center- 67 S. State St., Hart

Saturday

  • 7:30am – Ryan Walsworth Spear-It 5k Run, registration begins at 7:30am and race begins at 9am at Silver Lake Chicken Shack- 8343 W. Hazel Rd., Silver Lake. Pre-register at runsignup.com
  • 9am-5pm – Arts & Crafts Fair, Oceana County Courthouse lawn- 100 S. State St., Hart. Apply for the fair here.
  • 9:30am – Farm Tour at the NAF Office- 16 S. State St., Hart. Sign-up is from 8:30-9:30am.
  • 11am-1pm – Taste of Asparagus, Historic District (Shuttles available). Apply here by May 31st, 2023.
  • 11am-12:30pm – Parade Line-up/Staging at the Oceana County Fairgrounds- 1025 S. State St., Hart. Find registration form here.
  • 11am-2pm – Kid’s Zone Downtown
  • 2pm – Joan Glover Royale Parade, beginning at Oceana County Fairgrounds and ending near Hart Commons
  • 3-5pm – Kid’s Zone Downtown
  • 5-10pm – NAF After Party & Fireworks at Hart Commons with live music throughout and fireworks at dusk

Sunday

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