2 Towns Ciderhouse held their 15th annual Harvest Party on Oct. 4, from noon to 9 p.m. to celebrate their 15th year of operations, the yearly harvest and innovation in the cider-making field.
With admission, event-goers were given a stainless steel carabiner mug and four drink tokens, which could be exchanged for alcoholic delights.
This year featured 40+ beverages, including 2 Towns ciders, Craftwell Cocktails and several non-alcoholic varieties of cider. A rotating X-Tap, which changed ciders every hour on the hour, as well as a special cider poured from a caramelized pumpkin were some of the most popular choices this year.
Along with the attractions people have come to associate with the event—cidery tours, live music, hot air balloon glow, lawn games and food trucks—this year featured several new activities. Those included: cidermaker talks, a photo booth, a scavenger hunt, a caricature artist, a fresh apple juice press and air-brushed tattoos.
Free shuttle buses ran to and from the event all day to three different stops. A new clear bag policy was also implemented at this year’s event.
The cidermaker talks included cidermakers, including 2 Towns Ciderhouse co-founder Dave Takush, lecturing on such topics of the history of the apple and the difference between modern and old-world ciders.
Event-goer Myriyah Williams, 30, said the event was “a lot of fun.”
“My husband is actually working this event,” Williams said. “This is my first time coming. I really love the community and all of the amazing history they talked about.
Williams said her favorite cider this year was the Chocolate Marionberry.
“I actually ran into a friend of mine here, and they recommended (the cider) to me,” Williams said. “I thought they were talking about actual chocolate, but then I saw it was a cider, and I was like, ‘Okay!’ It reminds me of wine.”
According to 2 Towns Ciderhouse Marketing Manager Jessica Wisor, the event was crowded all day.
“We have had maybe 2,000 attendees,” Wisor said on the day of the event. “But it’s hard to count right now.”
Now equipped with three production facilities totalling around 100,000 square feet, which distribute to 15 states in the country, the cidery has made leaps and bounds from its humble origins in a three-car garage in 2010.
Born over a conversation between owners Lee Larson and Aaron Sarnoff-Wood while sharing some pints of beer, 2 Towns Ciderhouse has become one of the largest cider manufacturers in the USA, including the number one producer of non-alcoholic cider.
Wisor said a series of surveys would be sent out to attendees after the event to gauge how the company can improve the Harvest Party for next year.
“So far, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and guests really seemed to love the layout and all the added experiences,” Wisor said in an email.
