​The beloved and spear-ited 14th annual Empire Asparagus Festival is back! Join us this year for asparagus eats, groovy beats and community feats!

Friday, May 19th

Enjoy a Pig Roast and Live Music from Strobelite Honey!
7- 10pm

Entry fee is $5 per person, 16 and under is free!
Pig Roast is $11 per person.
Come and dance with us under the big tent! There will be live music from Strobelite Honey and we'll be serving up a delicious pig roast too. It's the perfect way to kick off the 2017 Asparagus Festival!

Saturday, May 20th

Kick Yer Ass-paragus 5K Fun Run | 10am

Race starts at 10am, registration is at 9am at the Empire Public Beach. The entry fee is $25 and comes with a free t-shirt!

Arts Fair | 10am - 4pm

The Empire United Methodist Church is hosting an Arts Fair featuring local artisans. Stop by the church anytime from 10 to 4 on Saturday and support local artists!

Asparagus Recipe Contest Asparagus Cook-Off
Noon

Due to the popularity of this event, the audience will be limited to the first 100 people in line.

Empire Area Museum is Open
1–4pm

Asparagus Parade!
1:30pm

A parade in Empire “is so nice, it goes around twice!” Anyone is welcome to participate, but must salute asparagus! We welcome the eccentric! Just call Ashlea to be involved at 231.883.8297 or email [email protected]. Parade participants can begin to line up on Lake Street near the old Storm Orchard Barn at 1:15pm.

Ode to Asparagus Poetry Competition
2pm

The poetry contest includes Children, Youth & Adult categories.
Please send entries to [email protected] and include:

• Name
• Age
• Contact info

Children's Magic Show with Gordon Russ
3:30pm under the big tent on Front Street

Music & Entertainment

• 1–3:30pm: Andre Villoch & Friends
• 5–7pm: Benjaman James
• 7:30–9pm: The Benzie Playboys

Food & Beer Tent

Noon–10pm

Food Vendors

• Art’s Tavern
• Deerings Market
• Hearth & Vine Black Star Farms
• Kontiki Foods
• Scalawags Fish & Chips
• MI Grill (Baytown Kitchen)
• Norconk’s Fresh Asparagus
• Pleva's Meats
• Rocco Old World Pizzeria
• NJ's India Kitchen

Breweries & Vintners

• Acoustic Mead
• Bel Lago Vineyards & Winery
• Black Star Farms
• Lake Ann Brewery
• Laurentide Winery
• Right Brain Brewery
• St. Ambrose Cellars