Category: Mary Achor’s Blog

Cherry Food, Glorious Food!

America’s Best Kept Secret: The Cherry Blossom Festival and Presidential Family Reunion

Glorious, Glorious Food!

by Mary Achor, Presidential Family Historian

As if the camaraderie of the Cherry Blossom Festival weren’t enough, there is food. Glorious, glorious food!

There is the English Tea on Thursday afternoon, where ladies come from all around, wearing their red and purple hats (the gentlemen come, too, but they don’t wear red and purple hats), and all line up for cherry tarts and scones and crustless cucumber sandwiches and deadly chocolate things…and steaming tea from dozens of vintage teapots.

Last year, Paul Burrell came from England, bringing real English biscuits (read: cookies) for each of us. Paul was Queen Elizabeth’s butler, and then was Lady Di’s butler and confidante until her death.

When he first got word that he was to interview with Queen Elizabeth, he knew he’d have to pass muster with her Corgis, so he stuffed his pockets with sausages. Smart man. He got the job. Paul brought one of Lady Di’s dresses for us to see, plus his very own sterling silver service to show us how to make proper English tea.

On Friday night, there is the Hubble Banquet, named after Marshfield’s favorite son and brilliant astronomer, Edwin Powell Hubble. This night, folks are honored for exemplary public service. The smiling faces from Sheila’s Place cater, par excellence, until we are as stuffed as a crepe. Afterwards, a real life auctioneer, complete with cowboy hat and boots, auctioned off cherry pies from the cherry pie contest. I get to emulate Vanna White, to scurry around the room, waving pies under noses to amp up the bidding. Sometimes they go for a hundred dollars.

Saturday night is the State Banquet. Tickets sell out in 24 hours now, because everyone has learned that Mark and Dixie Dawson at the Blackberry Creek Bed and Breakfast will wow us with Mark’s deadly delicious corn chowder…just for starters. Kami Cotler, our beloved red-haired Elizabeth from “The Waltons”, grins and dons an apron, and serves up plates to diners lucky enough to be in her path.

And, if all this weren’t enough, we breakfast and lunch at Freda’s Uptown Cafe–relaxing times with friends from the festival and Marshfieldians who have befriended us CherryFesters over the years. We sit around long tables, drinking countless cups of unexpectedly delicious hot coffee, laughing and teasing, and taking silly pictures of each other.

From the outside, Freda’s looks like the quintessential small town cafe (which it is). Inside, it has that homey, warm atmosphere where everybody knows everyone else, and greets each other with a wave and a grin. The food (as well as the coffee) is first rate. During the Cherry Blossom Festival, Freda serves up cherry crepes, and cherry chicken salad, and cherry-stuffed French toast, and cherry cobbler. Hot, with ice cream. Groan… I cannot wait.

–Mary Achor

For more information, please go to www.cherryblossomfest.com

America’s Best Kept Secret ~ Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival

 

America’s Best Kept Secret: 

The Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival and Presidential Family Reunion

by Mary Achor, Presidential Family Historian

One of America’s best kept secrets, it is called “The Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival and Presidential Family Reunion.”  Descendants of presidential families—and history buffs of all stripes—eagerly gather there year after year after year.

It takes place in a quintessential small town in the Missouri Ozarks, a place called Marshfield, the birthplace of famed American astrophysicist, Edwin Hubble, about 30 miles from Springfield, Missouri.

It is held three magical days each April, and it is open to everyone!  This year, 2015, the dates are April 23, 24, and 25.  And, again, just in case you think it is only for celebrities, it is open to everyone!

This most unusual event should be on everyone’s bucket list to attend at least once. However, once you attend, you will be drawn back, again and again.

It is unlike anything else in the world.

Here in this tiny town, you’ll meet celebrities, noted authors, humanitarians, presidential descendants and historical luminaries from all over the world, from Princess Di’s butler, and cousins of Queen Elizabeth, to actors from The Waltons, to a Walt Disney artist, to the grandson of Charles Lindbergh, to former First Lady Laura Bush.

At the English Tea, you may chat with witty George Cleveland, who is the spitting image of his presidential grandfather.  Or perhaps have dinner with Tom Washington, direct descendant of John Augustine Washington, George’s favorite full brother who took care of business while George Washington was away founding a country.

Or meet a descendant of John Adams and John Quincy Adams, who regaled us with stories of going to the Adams’ home, Peacefield, to sit in John Adams’ chair and wear his spectacles.

One year, there was a baby shower for the newborn descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings.  A Nixon went shopping for diapers at Wal-Mart with the other descendant of Thomas Jefferson.

Dr. Richard Harding merrily shared about President Harding’s imperious sister, who marched up to the White House, rapped on the door with her umbrella, and said, “I am the President’s sister, and I want to show these folks around.”  The doorman gulped, said, “Yes, Ma’am,” and threw open the White House door.

It is the camaraderie that is the benediction.   How astonishing to watch descendants of bitter political rivals sit and laugh by the hour.  George Cleveland noted that there may have been acrimony between presidents, but “by the time we get to Marshfield, it’s all gone.”

                                                                                    –Mary Achor