Greenville’s fig festival returns to the Eastern Carolina Village & Farm Museum 1840-1940 with a day devoted to exploring the many sides of this beloved fruit. Expect rare fig trees that are hard to find at typical garden centers, opportunities to meet growers long known only from online conversations, plenty of handmade goods and unusual plants, local businesses to discover, fig-focused learning, and a raffle with an extensive prize lineup. It welcomes anyone with an interest in gardening, rare fruit, local food, handmade work or small businesses, from first-time tree shoppers to longtime collectors. The marketplace features fig trees and diverse varieties, other fruiting plants and nursery stock, and direct conversations with people who spend their days growing them. Food is a major draw, with prepared and wood-grilled options, Italian ice, fresh drinks, baked goods, sourdough, specialty foods, preserves, sauces, and infused oils and balsamics, plus creative fig-inspired treats. Beyond plants and food, there are handmade and artisan items, farm and pantry products, herbs, flowers and nursery plants, garden and homestead goods, specialty foods, body care and handcrafted products, and a wide range of offerings from local and regional small businesses. An educational program brings together voices from the wider fig community, including Danny Gentile of figBid.com on the platform’s history, ordering figs online and choosing reliable sources, Phil D’Angelis of Phil’s Figs on propagation from cuttings, Miles George of Trees & Bees and MilesFig on air layering, and Randall of Flomaton Famous with “When Your Fig Collection Becomes an Orchard.” The raffle, built with contributions from vendors and sponsors, includes two separate $150 Agri Supply gift cards, a FigBrew gift bundle valued at approximately $170, ENCINO and La Tovarra restaurant gift cards totaling $160, rare and unusual fig trees, specialty foods, handmade goods, fig merchandise, separate dog and cat gift baskets, vendor-created gift baskets and more. Sign up for the Forest of Eden email list at the festival to receive a complimentary first raffle ticket, and winners who are not on site will be contacted to arrange pickup. Highlights can range from fig-infused barbecue sauce and sourdough made from a decades-old family starter to coffee alternatives crafted from roasted figs, unexpected plants, handmade pieces and in-person connections with growers. Now in its fourth year, this gathering brings together growers, nurseries, farms, restaurants, food businesses, artisans, homesteaders, collectors and other small businesses. Presented by FigBrew with support from figBid.com, FigFanatic.com, Encino, Outpatient Veterinary Clinic and Agri Supply, and hosted by Forest of Eden Farm & Nursery.
