Pour the Core: A Hard Cider Festival returns to Heckscher State Park on Saturday, Sept. 29.
With a pay-one-price ticket purchase, attendees will be able to sample over 75 ciders from local, national and international cider makers.
Pour the Core will showcase locally produced ciders from Riverhead Ciderhouse in Riverhead, Po’ Boy Brewing in Port Jefferson Station, and Diner Brew Co. in Mt. Vernon, as well as hand-selected national and international brands including Ace Cider in California, Citizen Cider in Vermont, and Romilly Cidre in France.
“The event is sure to impress both cider lovers and fun seekers alike,” said event organizer Kristyn Dolan with Starfish Junction, producers of Pour the Core.
The festival will offer a unique line-up of ciders to sample, as well as food available to purchase from some of Long Island’s popular food trucks.
A not-to-be-missed highlight of the cider festival is the Cider Donut Eating Contest, this year sponsored by East Main and Main donut bar and Po’ Boy Brewery, both with retail locations in Port Jefferson.
Twenty-five festival attendees will test their donut eating skills for a prize package valued at more than $500, including a year’s supply of donuts, plus bragging rights until next year’s Pour the Core event.
Contestants will receive a cider donut, which will be hung from a string. The contestant who eats their donut fastest without using their hands will be declared the winner.
Floral Park native, and two-time Pour the Core reigning donut eating champion Christopher Bingold is attending and hopes to defend his undefeated title.
“This will be my third year at the festival and both my wife and I love trying new ciders as well as our favorites,” said Bingold. “My first year, I entered the contest on a whim and was surprised when I won. I was just as surprised last year when I won for the second time and hopefully I can get it done a third time,” he added.
When asked about his training and strategy for this year’s attempt, he humbly replied, “I don’t really have a strategy beside eat as quickly as possible.”
Pour the Core: Long Island will help two worthy charities: KiDS NEED MoRE, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of children, families and young adults coping with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, and the National Heritage Trust.
Tickets to Pour the Core are as follows: VIP Session ($60) will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., and General Admission Session ($45) takes place from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Designated Driver tickets are also available: $15 for VIP ticketholders and $12 for those with general admission tickets.
This is a 21+ event and a valid ID is required for entry. No children or pets are permitted.
The festival will take place rain or shine, under tents, and all ticket sales are final.
Heckscher State Park is located at 1 Heckscher State Pkwy in East Islip. The event will be held in Field 2.
The park will collect $8 per vehicle for parking. Parking is free for vehicles with a valid NYS Empire Pass.
For tickets and more information about the event, visit pourthecore.com/LongIsland.
