Empire displays community “Spear-It”

By Ashlea Turner
Sun staff writer
For asparagus lovers, a drizzly spring day was fitting for the 1st Annual Empire Asparagus Festival held last Saturday, May 22nd. Folks from all over the region came to celebrate the town’s new favorite vegetable, asparagus. At the climax of the asparagus harvest season, Empire partied for hours with a whole day’s worth of events.
The day kicked off with a rainy fun run/walk, attended by over 20 adults, children and pets. The 2.5-mile route meandered through the village, passing by many community garden plots filled with young asparagus. Robin Johnson and Heidi Skinner, both village residents, planted over 100 donated asparagus crowns, as well as complimentary perennials and annuals.

After the tour many asparagus-loving children attended a wealth of kids’ games and activities, including a popular asparagus spear-throwing contest. While the kids were having fun throwing their food around, parents indulged in some deliciously rich cream of asparagus soup, provided by Joe’s Friendly Tavern. Holly and Judy Decker, owners of the Cottonwood Inn Bed & Breakfast in Empire, served it up ‘til the last drop was consumed by thankful patrons.
While consuming the homemade soup, many festival visitors wandered through the classic car show, finding themselves in awe not only of the wonderful automobiles, but of the owners’ spirits on a damp day. Moving east on Front Street, hungry visitors attended the Asparagus Recipe Contest in the Town Hall, where they were able to sample 18 asparagus-based dishes. Over 40 people anxiously waited for the judges to make their decisions before they were able to sample and vote in the “People’s Choice” category. The “People’s Choice” award went to Richard Cooper for his asparagus and morel soup.
For over 30 poetry lovers, the “Ode to Asparagus” poetry contest reading was the place to be in the afternoon. People between the ages of 9 and 90, from Michigan, Idaho, Great Britain and beyond submitted over 50 poems for the contest. The adult winner of the contest was Michael Delp, a poet and instructor at the Interlochen Arts Academy. Wild asparagus, cooked asparagus and, of course, asparagus pee were themes that resonated in many poems.
A highlight for many came at 2 p.m. with the Asparagus Festival Parade, featuring over 20 different “spear-ited” floats and costumes. In Empire, parades go around twice because it’s just too much fun to go around only once. So onlookers were able to catch a second glimpse of the creative floats, as they miraculously escaped the rain.
The most popular event of the day, however, was the Lion’s Club Chicken & Asparagus Dinner, along with a wine tasting featuring three local wineries, Black Star Farms, Ciccone and Bel Lago. The TC Kitchen Band performed to a full house in the Town Hall as people from all over continued to file in. All in all, over 300 people were served fresh asparagus and chicken dinners.
Organizers aspire to make the Empire Asparagus Festival an annual event and continue to celebrate the first commercial crop to be harvested in the area. Who knows? Maybe next year will feature an asparagus-eating contest? Better start practicing now!
An Asparagus Life
– by Michael Delp
At night I lie down in the garden,
the full moon rising like a beacon,
turn my head toward the wisdom of asparagus,
their long spears curling secrets into my ears:
Rain coming soon.
A river asleep under the field.
A flyrod gentle as wind hidden in the barn.
June, a month of high clouds and dense fog.
And on the table at noon tomorrow,
that asparagus pie my wife is dreaming.