Athena Gillespie, age 20, won the Audience Choice award at this year’s Empire Asparagus Festival poetry contest, held on Saturday, June 4, for her poem “Green Force.” Gillespie also submitted a poem to the contest in 2012, when she was 10 years old. Both poems are published here.
The Empire Asparagus Festival returns following a two-year COVID hiatus. This scaled-back event on Saturday, June 4, features a 5K Kick Yer Ass-paragus Fun Run/ Walk at 10 a.m. at the public beach, a Recipe Contest and Cook-off at noon at the Town Hall, an open house at the Empire Museum from 1-4 p.m., an “Ode to Asparagus” poetry contest at 2 p.m. at the Glen Lake Library, and Asparagus Eats, Wine and Beer Tasting from noon until 6 p.m. under a tent on Main Street.
The Glen Lake Library will help celebrate the return of the beloved Empire Asparagus Festival on June 4 with their Ode to Asparagus poetry reading and Asparagus recipe contest. Click here for more information on how to submit a poem or recipe.
Faced with spiking COVID-19 numbers in Empire’s 49630 zip code and throughout Michigan, Empire Asparagus Festival organizer Paul Skinner has decided that he will almost definitely postpone the 2021 festival. The Empire Asparagus Festival, which is typically held in mid-May, just as the asparagus crop shoots out of the ground, was also canceled in 2020.
Though the 2020 Empire Asparagus Festival was canceled last weekend due to the coronavirus pandemic, the virtual Ode to Asparagus poetry reading on Saturday, May 16, drew 19 submissions and 20 people who tuned in via Zoom to read their poems or to listen.
Amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, the Empire Chamber of Commerce will hold favorite events online for annual festival From staff reports The third weekend of May is typically one of the busiest weekends of the year in the village of Empire. Each spring the Empire Chamber of Commerce hosts the annual Asparagus Festival to celebrate the […]
The Empire Asparagus Festival—originally scheduled for May 15-16 in downtown Empire—has been canceled, festival organizer Paul Skinner told the Glen Arbor Sun. Other popular Leelanau County events have postponed until the fall. The Cedar Polka Festival will be moved from mid-June to September 17-20, 2020.
The idea of opening a small market in Empire dawned on Mae Stier last spring after Deering’s Market closed. Shuttered was a lifeblood business in this close-knit town. For decades, community members had come to Deering’s to buy food and daily provisions, to cross paths and interact.
Here are the winners of this year’s Empire Asparagus Festival recipe contest, held earlier this month in Empire.
Here are the winners of this year’s Ode to Asparagus poetry contest at the Empire Asparagus Festival