JON S. CORZINE
Governor

Nina Mitchell Wells
Secretary of State

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2007

Contact: Shawn Crisafulli
609.777.4413

Eat, Drink & Be Merry: The Garden State
is Serving Local Flavors This Harvest Season

From Foodies to Families, Harvest Festivals Draw a Melting Pot of Culinary Adventurers

Trenton, NJ—If you hold great food in the same regard as a great vacation destination, you’re in luck, because New Jersey is pulling out all of the stops to celebrate this year’s fall harvest. While some may take weekend trips to view the foliage, foodies of all ages will enjoy a weekend sampling the bounty of the Garden State; you just have to know where to look. The New Jersey Office of Travel & Tourism is making it easy for visitors to experience some of the delicious offerings that provide the perfect excuse to hit the road for a weekend getaway, by highlighting culinary adventures across the state.

As American As…
As one of the top 10 fruit and vegetable producers in the country, New Jersey grows more than 100 different kinds of fruits and vegetables. During the fall, there are over 30 different varieties of apples alone, and festivals and farm stands are preparing to give visitors a taste of one of the most symbolic fruits of a fall harvest in the northeast.

Wineries
The grapes are ripe for the picking at the 28 wineries throughout the state, and the Garden State Wine Growers Association (GSWGA) is ready to show visitors how the state has earned, and maintains, the distinction of being the 5th largest wine producer in the country. So skip the expense of a flight to Napa and join the festivities found along the designated wine trails in New Jersey.

Cran-tastic Celebrations
The blueberry may be the state fruit, but during fall harvest in New Jersey, the cranberry is king. As one of only a handful of fruits that originated in North America -- the others being blueberries and Concord grapes -- cranberries have played an integral role in the agricultural history of the Garden State, where the crop dates back to the 1840s. While originally used in ceremonies, medicinally, as a dye for cloth and as a natural food source, festivals in honor of the little red fruit now incorporate samplings, recipe contests, live music and, of course, a visit to, or a walk through, one of the state’s cranberry bogs.

For specifics on some fall harvest events – and everything else that New Jersey has to offer – please contact us or visit the New Jersey Office of Travel and Tourism online at www.visitnj.org, where you can order your free New Jersey Travel Guide. To locate roadside markets and pick-your-own farms throughout New Jersey, visit the Jersey Fresh website at www.JerseyFresh.NJ.Gov