Maine Rhubarb Festival Celebrates the Bitter and the Sweet

A festival in Perry will celebrate and educate people about the fruit (vegetable?) that people tend to either love or hate.

Rhubarb is a Vegetable That Gets Treated Like a Fruit

Rhubarb is technically a vegetable but, because of its tart flavor, is always sweetened with sugar, so it's treated more like a fruit.

It's not everyone's cup of tea, but I love it. Mix it with strawberries and sugar, and I'll eat it right out of the pot. Put it in a pie and I'll make the coffee!

READ MORE: 25 Delicious Ways to Enjoy Tart, Good-for-You Rhubarb in Maine

We grow rhubarb in our yard, and it's the easiest thing we grow.

Rhubarb Festival in Perry, Maine Promises Fun and Flavors for Attendees

If you love rhubarb like I do, you're invited to the annual Rhubarb Festival, coming up on June 6th, 2026, at the Kendall Farm in Perry.

From noon to 6 pm, attendees can enjoy a variety of activities, including face painting, a self-directed obstacle course, a rhubarb-themed art project, and more.

The real rhubarb lovers can take part in a stalk-eating contest.

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I love rhubarb but I'm not going to eat a raw stalk. If you've never tried it, let me just say it's the definition of bitter.

There will be a variety of food and craft vendors, as well as live, local music.

New at the Maine Rhubarb Festival, a Rhubarb Garb Contest

New this year is a Rhubarb Garb Fashion Show, inspired by the winner of a rhubarb-art contest that states 'Rhubarb is Sexy.'

Attendees can wear rhubarb-inspired outfits - think pink and green.

Prizes will be awarded for most creative, most beautiful, and sexiest.

A full schedule of events for the Rhubarb Festival can be found on the Kendall Farms website.