Unalaska’s Blueberry Bash

Fall in Unalaska brings cooler air, rich color to the tundra, and a plethora of berries. While locals can be pretty secretive about their favorite picking spots, they are generous with the fruits of their labors – at the annual Blueberry Bash.

Here you’ll find an amazing array of blueberry dishes – table after table loaded with variations on tasty pies, cobblers and tarts, along with jams, vinegars, chutneys, salsas and everything in between. Past years have featured award-winning concoctions such as Banana Blueberry Eggrolls and Blueberry Cheesecake Rollups. Yum! (There are plenty of samples you can try, and you can also bid on your favorite during the bake sale auction.)

Prizes are awarded in food categories, as well as for the largest blueberry and best blueberry art.

This labor-intensive event has been a popular tradition in Unalaska since the 1980s and is currently organized by Unalaska Pride, a committee of the local Convention and Visitors Bureau. If you’re here on the last Sunday in September, be sure and come by the school’s gym in the late afternoon for a celebration of the amazing blueberry. Get some inspiration for your own recipes…and maybe even discover the location of a prized blueberry patch. (Blueberry Bash organizers remind pickers to get a local land use permit if harvesting berries on Ounalashka Corporation property).