Franklin County CiderDays

2020 Franklin County CiderDays (26th Annual)

After much discussion, we are sorry to say we will not be holding CiderDays, as you have known it, this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Crowded tastings and workshops pose too much risk for attendees and producers. Yes, we will be celebrating all things cider, apples and orchards but from a very safe distance. We will be promoting products and offerings of local orchards and cideries that you can drive to in the safety of your own car, as well as curating select online content that can be viewed anywhere in the world. Check our website and social media pages to stay connected to the CiderDays community. Stay safe and enjoy cider!

Check below to see info about last year's events and stay tuned for this year's updates.

Thank You for a Great CiderDays!

Our 25th Anniversary CiderDays event was a huge success!

If you'd like to see what this annual event is all about, peruse the 2019 schedule here. Also check out the numerous FREE events.

Check out our video (thanks, TOLD Video!) to see what makes CiderDays the magical event that it is. And you'll find photos and videos from this year's CiderDays on our Facebook page and Instagram account. Use #FranklinCountyCiderDays when posting photos and we will repost our favorites!

If you'd like to see the caliber of the producers at the Salons, check out the list of hard cider producers from the 2019 Cider Salons.

CANCELED - SPECIAL 25TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT - April 18, 2020, Old Apples of New England: A Seminar Exploring the History of Apples in New England

Due to the ongoing public health emergency surrounding the mitigation of COVID-19 (coronavirus), we regret that this event must be canceled. Read more

What is CiderDays?

CiderDays is an annual community celebration of all things apple in beautiful Franklin County, Massachusetts. 2019 marks our 25th Anniversary with tours, cidermaking and tastings, workshops and much more in orchards and venues county-wide from Ashfield, Deerfield, Turners Falls, Shelburne Falls, and Colrain to New Salem and the towns in between. Whether you are a cider aficionado (hard or sweet), make your own cider, are an orchardist, like hanging out in bucolic orchards, or just enjoy soaking up all the goodness of autumn in New England, CiderDays is your event!

There is a charge for some of the events but many of the workshops and activities at the Shelburne Buckland Community Center and at local orchards are completely FREE.

2019 TICKETED EVENTS

Friday night event — Tasting of Calvados and Apple Brandy w/Ambrosia Borowski and Ria Windcaller from 6:30 - 8:00pm at the Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center (formerly the Arts Block) in Greenfield, MA. Ambrosia Borowski of Chicago's cider bar The Northman leads this curated tasting with cider expert (and host of The Cider Chat podcast) Ria Windcaller. $65/ticket SOLD OUT

Beginner's Cider Making Workshop with Bob Delisle and Charlie Olchowski on Saturday morning from 8:30 - 11:00 am at Pine Hill Orchards — this is a hands-on beginner's cider making workshop. The fee covers instructions and materials for making your first batch of cider. Materials: plastic fermenter, 5 gallon glass carboy, bored stopper, airlock, 6' syphon hose, 30" racking tube and bottle brush, plus sweet cider. You'll leave the workshop with your first batch of hard cider well under way. $85/ticket SOLD OUT

United States Cider Makers Association Cider Salons — the world's longest-running hard cider tasting with more than 120 individual cider brands from across North America and Europe. This year, the Salons will be held in a large tent in Unity Park, on the Connecticut River in Turners Falls, featuring easy access from Route 2 and I-91. Convenient parking in lots across and next to the venue and on the side streets in Turners Falls. Two sessions — 3:30 - 5:00 and 5:45 - 7:15 (Saturday) $35/ticket SOLD OUT Find participating producers here

Rosé Cider Tasting — Rosé ciders are all the rage but what makes a really good one? Ben Watson and Eleanor Leger, Eden Ciders, talk about the characteristics to look for and lead participants through a focused sampling of the best available. Sunday, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM, Deerfield Community Center in Historic Deerfield. $30/ticket   SOLD OUT

Founders Picks: 25 Years of Cidermaking — Judith Maloney, Charllie Olchowski, Ben Watson, and Paul Correnty offer tastings of their favorite ciders. Sunday, 1:00-2:00 PM, Deerfield Community Center in HIstoric Deerfield. $30/ticket. SOLD OUT

North vs. South Apple Tasting Smackdown w/John Bunker and Diane Flynt, Foggy Ridge Cidery, 4 times James Beard Foundation nominee — Are apples from the North better than apples from the South? Who will win? Taste fruit from both growing regions and decide for yourself. 2:30-3:30 PM, Deerfield Community Center in Historic Deerfield. $25/ticket. SOLD OUT

Cider and Cheese Pairing — A perennial favorite at CiderDays. The cheesemongers at Provisions in Northampton will present some of the best and most interesting cheeses from the US and Europe, and we will pair them with six compatible ciders. It’s a great way to learn how to think about making your own pairings at home. Sunday, 4:00-5:00 PM, Deerfield Community Center in Historic Deerfield. $30/ticket SOLD OUT

Check out all the free events happening on CiderDays Weekend!

CiderDays Amateur Cider Competition - an AHA/BJCP sanctioned event open to any amateur cidermaker age 21 or older — will be held December 2019, roughly one month after CiderDays. This will allow cidermakers attending this years CiderDays to drop entries at the event rather than sending them via UPS. Registration opens on the competition website in October. Details here..