With video: Cranberries, competitors combine for tasty event
A baker displays her entry to judges, from left, David Cavanaugh, Nathan Demers, Tracie Craig-McGee and Mark Townsend. Photos by Benjamin Martins 
Children make friends with alpacas. 
Town Hall serves as a stately backdrop to the festivities.
A baker displays her entry to judges, from left, David Cavanaugh, Nathan Demers, Tracie Craig-McGee and Mark Townsend. Photos by Benjamin Martins
Children make friends with alpacas.
Town Hall serves as a stately backdrop to the festivities.
MIDDLEBORO — Cranberries took center stage at Middleboro Town Hall lawn during the annual Crantoberfest Oct. 10.
The celebration marked the 12th year of welcoming guests and competitors. The event, sponsored by the Middleboro Tourism Committee, featured food, activities and vendors.
Bakers showed off their skills in the cranberry-themed baking competition. Mr. and Mrs. Crantoberfest were crowned.
The children were the main event as they marched in the costume parade.
Crantoberfest began in 2013 and was paused for a year due to COVID, Tourism Committee Chair Leilani Dalpe said. Since its return, "we’ve come back stronger than ever," she said.
While the events themselves have not changed in the festival’s 12-year history, the attendance has, Dalpe said.
"For the bake off, we have had as many as 30 contestants and as few as three," she said. "This year we had six [entries] but we would like to see closer to that 30 number."
The Mr. and Mrs. Crantoberfest competition, on the other hand, saw a record number of competitors. Seventeen children lined the walkway in front of Town Hall to answer four cranberry-themed questions in an attempt to win a crown and sash and become the reigning royalty of the event.
Dalpe said that events like Crantoberfest or the Tourism Committee's upcoming Christmas at the Oliver Estate take months of preparation.
"We have a team of volunteers that, at one time, was up to 96 people from the community," she said. "We have somebody for logistics, somebody in charge of vendors, somebody in charge of food, kids games, contests, so lots goes into it."
"Events like this are fabulous for the community," said Glenn Montapert, the Middleboro Tourism Committee volunteer coordinator. "It brings everybody out to have fun and to enjoy themselves, it’s something for the kids as well. Why would you need to leave the community to have fun? Everything can be done right here."
