NJ Heartland Returns to Appel Farm’s Music & Wine Festival

The NJ Heartland team could not wait to return to Appel Farm for their annual Music and Wine Festival!

Located in Elmer, the Appel Farm Arts and Music Center was opened in 1960 by Albert and Clare Appel as a place where the community could gather to learn more about the arts. Their annual festival aims to serve the local community and raise funds for the Farm’s many educational programs. Appel invites local musicians, wineries, breweries, artisans, and eateries to participate in the day, which this year was expanded into a weekend experience.

This year’s wine tasting featured nine wineries: Auburn Road Vineyard & Winery (Pilesgrove), DiMatteo Vineyards (Hammonton), Monroeville Vineyard & Winery (Monroeville), Paradocx Vineyard (Landenberg, PA), Penns Woods Winery (Chaddsford, PA), Plagido’s Winery (Hammonton), Southwind Vineyard & Winery (Millville), Villari Vineyards (Sewell), and Wagonhouse Winery (South Harrison Township). Flying Fish Brewery (Somerdale) was also on site for visitors who prefer craft beer.

For the foodies, Culinary Grove featured culinary artists and their handcrafted goods. From comfort classics to gourmet seafood, this year’s food truck lineup did not disappoint; So Jersey Mobile Café, Spanky’s BBQ, Star of the Sea, Sunny Rae’s Kitchen, and House of Cupcakes served up an array of delicious dishes.

And let’s not forget what this festival is all about: the arts! On Saturday, Hotsy Totsy, Christopher Davis-Shannon, JUTAUN, Swing That Cat!, and Coe Crookston rocked the stage with exciting performances. Sunday’s lineup included Deirdre Finnegan and Dave Cohen, Greg Jones Project, Joe Crookston, and David Uosikkinen’s in The Pocket. In addition to great music, guests visited the Crafts Faire, which featured homemade products from local artisans.

Smaller visitors enjoyed Kid’s Camp, which was a new addition to the festival this year. Its goal was to show kids aged three to thirteen what a day at an arts camp might look like. Campers enjoyed everything from arts and crafts to moon bounces.

Of course, at the center of all of the fun was the New Jersey’s Heartland table! We thoroughly enjoyed talking with Heartlanders and out-of-towners alike as they spun our Pick-A-Prize wheel. Our new friends won beach balls, chapstick, coloring pages, and more! Visit our Facebook page to see photos from the event.

If you missed us this time, don’t worry. We will be popping up at events in New Jersey’s Heartland all throughout the summer. Stay tuned for announcements!

Thank you to Appel Farm Arts and Music Center for hosting us again this year. As always, we had a great time!