5 ways to celebrate this week’s unusual Strawberry Moon in Charlotte
The Full Strawberry Moon will light up the sky this week. The moon will be in its fullest phase Friday morning, June 9, at 9:09 a.m..
What’s unusual about it: It will be a minimoon, a full moon that looks smaller than usual. Casual onlookers will perceive the moon as full from Thursday through Saturday.
While we can’t take a bite out of this juicy-sounding spectacle, and while it won’t even appear red like a strawberry, we can still celebrate it. After all, the Strawberry Moon got its name because the Algonquin tribes treated it as a signal to start picking ripe strawberries. (It has also been called the Full Rose Moon in Europe and the Honey Moon.)
So let’s eat strawberries to celebrate:
At Heirloom: The Strawberry Moon Dining Experience
On June 9, you can get your fill of seasonal canapes and a five-course tasting menu from Chef Clark Barlowe at Heirloom. Dishes include Honey-Strawberry Glazed Pork Loin, Beeswax Potato Soup and House-Made Propolis Linguine with Sunburst Farm Tomato-Strawberry Top Amatraciana Sauce, and Pecorino.
8470 Bellhaven Blvd.
At BLT Steak Charlotte: Summer cocktail menu
BLT’s summer cocktail list highlights crude bitters and sodas. On the strawberry side, you can find the not-so Hateful Eight, which mixes muddled strawberries and sage with Barcardi 8, Crude’s “Sycophant,” orange and fig bitters, lime juice and a splash of vanilla syrup.
110 N. College St.
At Amélie’s French Bakery & Café: Pastries
Indulge in the new summer menu, which features items like a strawberry and passion fruit creme Danish and a strawberry tarragon turnover. If you need something bubbly, there’s also a Passion Fruit Strawberry Mimosa.
380 S College St. (and other locations)
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At Hall Family Farm
Hall Family Farm, family owned and operated for more than 70 years, plans to be open Tuesday through Saturday this week from 9-5 a.m. The farm is at the very end of strawberry-picking season, so we’re told this week is likely your last chance to pick some ripe berries.
The U-pick activity is $2.39 per pound. You can bring your own box for free, or pay $0.75 per box at the farm. You can also indulge at the sales tent in slushies, coffee, ice cream and more.
10713 Providence Road West
Track down a strawberry sale
As of this weekend, strawberries were on sale at Harris Teeter at Kenilworth Commons (1227 East Blvd.): Buy one, get one free for $4.99 per 1-pound pack from the farmers market. The Fresh Market at Carmel Commons (7625 Pineville-Matthews Road) had strawberries on sale as well: Two 1-pound packs for $6.
Also in abundance: $5 cartons of strawberries from Patterson Farm at the Mecklenburg County Market (1515 Harding Place). Just look for the giant strawberry sign on East Morehead Street. You can almost taste it.
Photos: Katie Toussaint
This story was originally published June 4, 2017 at 10:00 PM with the headline "5 ways to celebrate this week’s unusual Strawberry Moon in Charlotte."