Maine Rhubarb Festival Celebrates the Bitter and the Sweet

A festival in Perry will celebrate and educate people about the fruit (vegetable?) that people tend to either love or hate.

Rhubarb is a Vegetable That Gets Treated Like a Fruit

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Photo by Vincent Erhart on Unsplash

Rhubarb is technically a vegetable but, because of its tart flavor, is always sweetened with sugar, so it's treated more like a fruit.

It's not everyone's cup of tea, but I love it. Mix it with strawberries and sugar, and I'll eat it right out of the pot. Put it in a pie and I'll make the coffee!

READ MORE: 25 Delicious Ways to Enjoy Tart, Good-for-You Rhubarb in Maine

We grow rhubarb in our yard, and it's the easiest thing we grow.

Rhubarb Festival in Perry, Maine Promises Fun and Flavors for Attendees

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Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash Untitled design - 1

If you love rhubarb like I do, you're invited to the annual Rhubarb Festival, coming up on June 6th, 2026, at the Kendall Farm in Perry.

From noon to 6 pm, attendees can enjoy a variety of activities, including face painting, a self-directed obstacle course, a rhubarb-themed art project, and more.

The real rhubarb lovers can take part in a stalk-eating contest.

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I love rhubarb but I'm not going to eat a raw stalk. If you've never tried it, let me just say it's the definition of bitter.

There will be a variety of food and craft vendors, as well as live, local music.

New at the Maine Rhubarb Festival, a Rhubarb Garb Contest

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Photo by Ugur Arpaci on Unsplash

New this year is a Rhubarb Garb Fashion Show, inspired by the winner of a rhubarb-art contest that states 'Rhubarb is Sexy.'

Attendees can wear rhubarb-inspired outfits - think pink and green.

Prizes will be awarded for most creative, most beautiful, and sexiest.

A full schedule of events for the Rhubarb Festival can be found on the Kendall Farms website.