She’s not nuts, she’s persistent. Mary Grant has had an idea for years, but only recently did she decided to share it.
Back in 2011 she announced to the Mount Angel Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, of which she is past president, that she wanted to create another festival, this time celebrating the hazelnut.
After more than a year of planning the idea becomes a reality with the opening of the Hazelnut Festival and Kristkindle Markt on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 1 and 2, at the Mount Angel Festhalle.
“I’ve been thinking about it for years,” Grant said, ever since her European cousins from Luxembourg told her about their Nut Market, which she and her husband eventually visited. “It is a fun festival celebrating the farmers.”
Back at home, she consulted with the Hazelnut Marketing Board headquartered near Aurora. Next, Grant brought the local nut fest idea to the chamber. Although it took a while, she said, “It’s finally happening.”
“Of course, we embraced [the festival idea] and are doing all we can to move it forward,” said Polly Owen, longtime manager at the Hazelnut board, which helped find vendors, get the word out.
The steering committee including Grant, chamber board secretary Maureen Ernst and hazelnut grower Kevin Aman have planned an array of attractions and events.
There will be nearly 20 vendors, ranging from an artisan baker to a Bavarian clothing store to beer brewers.
Roth’s will give out samples of hazelnut foods, and there’ll be hazelnut cooking demonstrations as well as an exhibit of hazelnut agricultural equipment.
Wares for sale will include cookbooks, caramels, cards and more from Kristkindle Markt vendors who will have their booths are set up to resemble a market in a German village.
There’ll be musical entertainment including Joe Szabo strolling with his accordion playing German Christmas music, as well as old-time American Christmas tunes. The Gallon House Band will play, and each day at 3 p.m. an old-time radio show, Live in Mount Angel, will feature storytelling and music.
For the children, there’ll be a Children’s Art and Craft Corner. Naturally, Santa Claus will be at the festival and Christmas wreaths will be sold.
Cheri Swoboda of Mother Peach’s Caramels says her two-piece taster box is very popular, and yes, she makes caramels with hazelnuts.
“I wanted a hazelnut variety being that Oregon is famous for them,” she said.
Swoboda and Jan Roberts-Dominguez, Oregon Hazelnut Country cookbook author, both previously worked for The Oregonian’s Foodday section. They will represent the Hazelnut Marketing Board in its booth.
Kevin Aman and his brothers, Tom and Tim, operate the orchard they inherited from their father, Russell Aman. They also grow and sell hazelnut nursery stock for this booming industry. Oregon State University has come out with hazelnut varieties that are resistant to Eastern Filbert Blight, he said. “For years nobody wanted to plant them, but everyone wants to plant them now.”
The festival is co-sponsored by Nutella, the nut-chocolate spread; Ferrero Rocher, maker of the well-known chocolate-hazelnut candy wrapped in gold foil; Roth’s Family Markets; and Franz Bread.
There will even be a hazelnut beer – Filbert Lager – by Gilgamesh Brewing of Salem which describes the beer as “a slightly nutty body and light, natural sweetness similar to a filbert.” The brewery says eight pounds of “hand-chopped and roasted” hazelnuts go in every barrel.
There’s an added incentive to visit Mount Angel’s first nut fest: With each $5 admission comes a “goodie bag probably of $20 value,” Grant said.
