8 Days until Christmas . . .

With just eight days until Christmas, my true love gave to me . . . not maids a milking, but eight gallons of fresh pomegranate juice from Home Grown Cellars!

Madera is the Heart of Pomegranate Country, and Home Grown Cellars showcases all that is wonderful about this amazing fruit. From fresh juice grown and squeezed right there on site, to honey created solely from the pollen of pomegranate trees and many many more products, Home Grown Cellars gift shop is stocked with goods that will let you find a gift for everyone on your list.

Madera Pomegranate Celebration to feature numerous events

Jarrod Lyman
Director of Media
Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau
(559) 683-4636 

The Pomegranate Celebration and Festival is coming

Madera, CA. – The inaugural Madera Pomegranate Celebration and Festival is shaping up with numerous events taking place the week of Oct. 29 through Nov. 5.

Madera is known as the Heart of Pomegranate Country, as so many pomegranates are both grown in the region and come to Madera for Processing.  

“The vast majority of the pomegranate products from recognizable brands you see on grocery store shelves use pomegranates either grown here or processed here. SO Madera really is the heart of pomegranate country,” said Jarrod Lyman, chairman of the Madera Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism Alliance Committee, which is putting the event on.

Events

The celebration week kicks off Saturday, Oct. 29 at Homegrown Cellars, a pomegranate farm and country store in Madera with the Pomegranate Run For Your Life 5K run/walk. Proceeds from the event will go to help fund a Christian orphanage for special needs children. To register for the race or for more information, call 559-664-8599.

Taking place later that night is the annual Madera Rotary Club Halloween Costume Ball and Dinner Dance. This year’s theme is tied in to the Pomegranate Celebration to help kick things off. The event takes place at Hatfield Hall at the Madera District Fairgrounds, doors open at 6 pm. Call 559-674-5401 for more information.

Valley Pistachio Country Store, a popular spot off of Highway 99 featuring local produce will be offering pomegranate-themed appetizers Tuesday, Nov. 1. 559-674-0020.

Stiebs is also holding a recipe contest aimed at finding the best pomegranate inspired dishes prepared by professional chefs and home chefs as well as pomegranate drinks. The winner of each of the three categories will take home $500. To enter, go to http://www.stiebs.com/contest.html. Recipes will be judged Wednesday, Nov. 2 at the catering kitchen of Madera Community Hospital where finalists will be selected. Winners from that group will then be announced at the festival Nov. 5.

Also taking place Wednesday is a dinner at The Vineyard Restaurant in Madera. The Vineyard will be serving Martinis made with pomegranate-blossom infused vodka. 

“Many of the beneficial compounds in pomegranates are concentrated in the blossom. By macerating them in vodka for three months, these compounds are released in to the vodka in your martini,” explained Chris Mariscotti, owner of The Vineyard and committee member of the Madera Chamber’s Tourism Alliance. “Finally, a healthy martini,” he added with a laugh.

Those martinis will be complimented by a dinner with each course featuring pomegranates. The first course is Filo cups with whipped Brie, pomegranate molasses pistachios and pomegranate seeds, which are known as arils.

The second course is grilled Portobello mushrooms with pomegranate-mustard vinaigrette and pumpkin seed frisee and arugula salad. 

The third course is pomegranate-glazed Mary’s Chicken with beet risotto and watercress. The dinner is finished off with a desert consisting of pomegranate gelato with crème fraiche.

Pomegranate Festival

The week-long celebration wraps up Saturday, Nov. 5 with the first annual Pomegranate Festival hosted by the Madera Chamber of Commerce Tourism Alliance Committee.  The event will be held from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Appellation California Wine Tasting and Visitor Center located at Avenue 7 and Highway 99 in Madera. The festival will feature live music by the popular band Deja Blues, cooking demonstrations, booths, a kids area and more.  “It’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Lyman. “The Tourism Alliance Committee is teaming up with Twin Pomegranates Winery, one of our sponsors, to do a ‘Pom-a-pult”. Guests will have the chance to shoot pomegranates at a target, with bulls eyes getting prizes.” 

Local restaurants will be on hand selling dishes using pomegranates, local author Karen Adler will be showcasing a children’s book telling the history of the pomegranate while vendors will be selling various pomegranate products.

“This even will definitely prove the versatility and health benefits of the pomegranate, as well as show why Madera is known as ‘The Heart of Pomegranate Country’,” said Lyman. 

Major sponsors for this event are Stiebs and Stellar Distributing along with a host of other sponsors who are supporting this highly anticipated event.  For additional listing of sponsors and more information regarding the celebration and festival please visit www.pomegranatefestival.com or find them on facebook at www.Facebook.com/pomegranatefestival.

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Pomegranate Festival to include recipe contest

Jarrod Lyman
Director of Media
Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau
(559) 683-4636 

Recipe contest unveiled for Madera Pomegranate Celebration and Festival

Madera, CA. – The presenting sponsor of the Madera Pomegranate Celebration and Festival is holding a national recipe contest, looking for dishes and drinks inspired by the heart-healthy fruit.

The contest is separated in to three categories, Best Recipe by a Food Professional, Best Recipe by a Home Cook and Pomegranate Beverage/Cocktail. The recipes can use pomegranate arils (seeds), pomegranate juice or pomegranate concentrate. 

The best entry in each category will win $500.

“There are a lot of possible applications to use pomegranates in recipes,” said K.C. Pomering with Stiebs and a member of the Pomegranate Celebration committee. “Many chefs are rediscovering uses for this fruit and incorporating them in new and exciting ways. We’re looking forward to seeing what both professionals and the home cooks come up with for this contest.”

Original recipes must be submitted by Tuesday, Oct. 25 using the submission form available at http://www.stiebs.com/contest.html. Images of the finished dish are also welcome, as are videos of the preparation process.

Winners will be announced at the first ever Pomegranate Festival to be held on Saturday, Nov. 5 at Appellation California. Winners do not need to be present when the announcements are made.  

About the Pomegranate Celebration and Festival

Madera is known as the Heart of Pomegranate Country. More and more of the fruit is being grown in and around Madera. Plus, almost all of the fruit grown in California comes to Madera for processing in the name brand products seen on store shelves at grocery stores throughout the country.

The inaugural Madera Pomegranate Celebration and Festival is being put on by the Madera Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism Alliance committee. The week-long series of events will highlight Madera’s central role in the production of the fruit, its health benefits, culinary versatility and history at events throughout Madera and Madera County Oct. 29 – Nov. 5. The Festival will wrap up the celebration, taking place Nov. 5 at Appellation California. There will be live music, cooking demonstrations, vendors, and games for kids and more. To learn more, visit www.PomegranateFestival.com.

Vendors sought for innaugural Pomegranate Festival

Madera Tourism Alliance seeking vendors for inaugural Pomegranate Celebration and Festival

Madera, CA. – Applications are available for vendors specializing in pomegranate products to display their goods at the first ever Pomegranate Festival taking place Nov. 5 from 10 am to 4 pm at Appellation California in Madera.

The Festival is the final event in the weeklong Madera Pomegranate Celebration, featuring Madera’s prominent role in the Pomegranate Industry. 

“The pomegranates in many of the products you see at the grocery store were either grown here in Madera and Madera County or were processed here. This is why Madera is known as the Heart of Pomegranate Country,” said Jarrod Lyman, chair of the Madera Tourism Alliance. 

The weeklong celebration, which runs from Oct. 30 through Nov. 5, will feature the many uses of pomegranates. There will be cooking demonstrations, special dinners at local restaurants and more.

The Festival will include live music, educational opportunities, a kid’s zone and numerous vendors showcasing the versatility of pomegranates. 

“From pomegranate jellies to candles and so much more, we’re looking for people who have taken this amazing fruit and really shown off all that you can use it for,” said Lyman.

Booth space costs only $75 for standard or $100 for a booth with electricity. To sign up or for more information, visit www.PomFest.com. 

The Pomegranate Celebration and Festival are being planned by the Madera Tourism Alliance, a committee of the Madera Chamber of Commerce.

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Homegrown Cellars to unveil butterfly house

Jarrod Lyman
Director of Media
Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau
(559) 683-4636

Butterfly house to open in Madera

Madera, CA. – Homegrown Cellars is known for their bevy of pomegranate products, but a new attraction will bring added attention to the popular farm. 

Homegrown Cellars owners Alex and Jackie Lehman announced the grand opening of a new 3000 square foot butterfly house at Homegrown Cellars. An unveiling will take place Saturday, Sept. 3 from 10 am until 7 pm. 

Hundreds of butterflies from four species will be in display to start with. Guests will be able to see Monarchs, Painted Ladies, Morning Cloaks and Red Admirals butterflies.

After the grand opening, the butterfly house will be open every Friday and Saturday through October. Future plans for it include breeding of butterflies, and additional species, including exotics. The house will close in the winter and reopen again in March. 

They will also be selling Pomegranate Smoothies, and the gift shop featuring pomegranate products, including their popular pomegranate honey, will also be open. 

Homegrown Cellars is located at 13702 Road 20 in Madera. For more information, visit www.HomegrownCellars.com.

The popular agritourism site is also the kick off point for the inaugural Pomegranate Celebration and Festival which runs October 30 through November 6. More information on that can be found at www.pomfest.com.

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