Wild Beginnings

Cherryfield is the location of an exciting new initiative to revitalize the historic downtown by celebrating the community’s wild blueberry heritage. The center of this transformation is Cherryfield Town Square, located at the heart of Cherryfield’s National Historic District. The Town Square is a cultural and community space that celebrates Cherryfield’s role in the global wild blueberry industry and sets the stage for larger economic development initiatives.

Cherryfield began its rise to prominence in the Maine wild blueberry industry at the turn of the 19th century, when several canneries opened in town and great swaths of the nearby barrens became managed for commercial production.  Jasper Wyman saw the value of the fruit, and first incorporated wild blueberries into his seafood cannery, then built a wild blueberry factory in Cherryfield.  Wyman’s is an important employer in Cherryfield today, and a top producer of the Maine wild blueberry.  Cherryfield is also home to many small wild blueberry growers who help continue the town’s reputation as “the wild blueberry capital of the world”.

Just as a seafood cannery was once reimagined to incorporate the wild blueberry , a group of Cherryfield residents has begun the process of reimagining an empty automotive garage, historically a hotel, into the Cherryfield Town Square Wild Blueberry Cultural Center. Cherryfield Town Square will include a regional visitor information center, retail shop, art gallery, historic and modern exhibits, and indoor and outdoor space for events, farm markets, classes, and other activities.

Extensive building renovations are required, so the Town Square will open to the public in stages, starting with outside events. In 2023 the Board and Friends of Cherryfield Town Square will host their first fundraising and wild blueberry themed community events during Cherryfield Days (June 23-25) and Maine Wild Blueberry Weekend (August 5-6).

Look for details about these upcoming Cherryfield Town Square events on Facebook and Instagram at @cherryfieldtownsquare.