In Niskayuna, an orange vegetable marks the beginning of the fall season, and it’s not the pumpkin.
Thirty-five years ago, the parking lot at Congregation Agudat Achim needed to be paved. Congregation members put their heads together, looking for a way to do something different to raise the funds for the parking lot. They wondered what they had that was unique. The answer was carrots, and lots of them.
Congregation members Paul and Rose Westheimer owned the Carrot Barn at Schoharie Valley Farms where more than 1,400 tons of carrots were produced annually.
“We were able to arrange to get produce from them, and because it was a carrot barn we called it the carrot fest,” said Hillary Fink, the chairwoman of the festival.
Fink said the first festival in 1979 was mainly a farmers market. The Westheimers brought their carrots and other vegetables and various farmers from the area brought produce to sell.
“The first festival was attended by about 1,000 people, primarily congregants. It was out on the lawn, just like it is now. Produce, cider and carrot juice were sold, “ Fink said.
The festival was a success, and became one of the community’s most anticipated fall events. Over the years, the festival grew and added music and entertainment, vendors, crafters, kids activities and all kinds of foods made with carrots – most notably the festival’s signature carrot cake, two layers thick with praline filling and cream cheese frosting.
“People say it’s the best carrot cake they ever had,” Fink said. “They literally travel for miles and they line up at the carrot tent early in the morning just for a piece of cake.”
In July, members of the congregation begin peeling, chopping, baking and stewing hundreds of carrots to make the different cakes, strudel, breads and even soup.
“They make hundreds and hundreds of the individual cakes, and over 1,000 portions of the signature cakes are sold,” Fink said.
Fink said no one really knows where the original recipe came from, but it has been perfected over the years. Festivalgoers often ask where they can get a copy, so a cookbook was compiled titled, “Divine Kosher Cuisine,” featuring the congregation’s favorite carrot festival recipes.
Besides the famous cake, a variety of other carrot cakes and baked goods are available at the festival, including banana chocolate chip cake, pineapple carrot cake, chunky apple cake, apple carrot strudel, fudge carrot brownies, a number of different types of cookies and carrot bagels.
In addition to hamburgers and hot dogs, the food tent features traditional Jewish favorites such as a brisket sandwich, falafel chicken shawarma, chicken soup with matzoh ball, tzimmes, knish, potato latkes and Israeli salad. New this year is the addition of a vegetable and beef chili, said Fink.
“The focus is to bring the community together,” Fink said. “We have a huge children’s area so there are a lot of activities for children to do and give families the opportunity to stay for a long time and enjoy the day.”
Also new this year is a children’s Home Depot workshop, running from noon to 2 p.m. Radio Disney, miSci (The Museum of Innovation and Science), and Reptile Adventure will also be at the festival along with pony rides and a petting zoo for kids.
Entertainment is scheduled all day, including a concert at 12:45 p.m. by Body and Soul, who play a variety of music from the oldies to the top 40.
“We have vendors and crafters indoor and outdoor with kitchen supplies, pottery, clothing, jewelry … you name it,” Fink said.
The Westheimers sold the Carrot Barn to Richard and Sue Ball in 1993, and they have helped to keep the carrot festival tradition going, although the Westheimers continue to be a part of the festival’s committee and are amazed at how much it has grown.
“It’s wonderful to see how the Carrot Festival has evolved from a small produce market to a full-fledged fall festival,” Rose Westheimer said.
The festival takes place on Sunday, Sept. 29, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., rain or shine, at Congregation Agudat Achim, 2117 Union Street, Niskayuna. Admission is free. Yankee Trails will provide a courtesy shuttle from Iroquois Middle School, 2495 Rosendale Road in Niskayuna, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.agudatachim.com.