Chatsworth Cranberry Festival celebrates another year of Pine Barrens fun

Autumn has quickly fallen upon us, and with the season come some of the region’s best loved, outdoor festivals. The famous Chatsworth Cranberry Festival, dedicated to New Jersey’s Pine Barrens and its abundant cranberry harvest (the third largest in the United States), is now in its 32nd year. The family-friendly event, filled with a diverse showing of more than 160 artists and crafters and over 35 antiques dealers as well as a wide selection of delicious, cranberry-inspired food and beverages, will take place in the center of town in Burlington County on Oct. 17 and 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Photo via Burlington County Times
Holly Dengler scoops cranberries during
last year's Chatsworth Cranberry Festival.

Aside from lots of shopping and good eating, some of the best highlights of the festival include a quilt display and a chance to meet the Howling Woods Farm wolves, featured in Disney’s “Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” The Bullzeye Band gives a live southern and classical rock performance between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Car enthusiasts interested in the Antique and Classic Automobile Show are invited to check out the over 100 vehicles that will roll in for demonstration on Sunday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Early birds can stop by for breakfast, which will be served each morning between 6 and 11 at the Chatsworth Firehouse. Assorted pastries and baked goods are also available at the White Horse Café and other local restaurants.

The weekend event is hosted by the Festival Committee of Chatsworth for the preservation of the White Horse Inn, a local landmark that was originally built as the Shamong Hotel in the 1800s. It served stagecoach passengers when first constructed and, later, railroad passengers on their way to iron furnaces in the southern part of the state. At the turn of the 20th century, overflow guests from the Chatsworth Club were housed at the inn. It is the sole remaining building that once belonged to the club.

The iconic hotel, which is one of the oldest surviving inns in the Pine Barrens, was on the verge of ruin when local residents decided to save it. Renovations, which took over a decade to accomplish, were completed in 2009. However, ongoing maintenance is required annually. A majority of the costs are covered by funds raised at the festival each year.

Admission to the event is free. Those who use the parking area at the school near Second Street are asked to make a $5 donation. No parking along Route 532 will be allowed.

For more information, visit cranfest.org.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The Beachcomber.