POLSON — Each year, the Polson Chamber of Commerce and Handmade Montana present the Flathead Cherry Festival, which features the cherries that are inherently special to the Flathead community.
“The cherries are a unique crop to the area because of how the mountains are positioned. They receive the right amount of sun and rain to thrive,” Festival Organizer Carol Lynn Lapotka said.
Hundreds of people gather on main street in Polson to meet local vendors, eat at food trucks, and of course, choose from a selection of fresh cherries.
One of those vendors is R&W Cherries, a family owned and locally grown cherry farm near Flathead Lake.
“The families have been doing the cherry business for about 10 years now, we took over the orchard from the previous owners, and we've just been having fun with it ever since,” R&W Cherry Vendor Jordon Poulson said.
The family has been coming to the cherry festival for five consecutive years, and explains that they keep coming back for one reason.
“Definitely the people and how friendly everybody is, and just how much fun it is. The energy is great at the cherry festival and just being here with the family, having fun," Poulson said.
And while vendors have been around for years, there is always room for new things.
That includes the Cherry Picked Culinary Experience where local businesses get to create a cherry inspired drink or dish.
The goal of this new feature is to give local establishments more exposure.
“Just to kind of keep it full circle and get more than what's happening downtown, kind of spreading it throughout the community,” Lapotka said.
The festival continues into Sunday, where a foodie competition will take place and dishes will be judged.
“People can register to win the best pie, savory or sweet treats, and we've been doing that for a couple of years, and we're doing that again on Sunday," Lapotka said.
The Flathead Cherry Festival will continue to be one of the best places for the community to be prideful in their Flathead cherries.
