Story
A Look at 2021 Farm Events
How is Blackberry Farm approaching events differently in 2021?
Kelley Harris: It has been an interesting process to channel our creative energy in a different way for 2021. It’s funny to say that we have put a lot of imagination and inventiveness into safety, but that has obviously been a huge focus! The questions we are answering include – How can we create an atmosphere that lends itself both to fun and enjoyment, as well as safety and distancing? What kind of content is special and meaningful to our audience right now? What kind of event is needed as an escape right now? How do we take events that were naturally already intimate and make them even more so?
What we have created are a number of truly RARE opportunities to learn, experience and enjoy Blackberry and the amazing personalities that are joining us to share with our guests. We are lucky that our property, our friends and our team all work together so well to make this all happen.
Blackberry Farm events were already intimate affairs, how are you changing scale for 2021?
Everything is scaled in number and even more intimate. All guests will have appropriate space and safety, and they will also get the most special access to our guest personalities and our team. So, along with a high level of safety, our guests are simply getting a more intimate and unique experience with the reduced size.
What safety measures is Blackberry Farm taking during events?
We have reduced all our event attendee numbers so that we can appropriately space guests in all facets of their experience – whether that be a wine tasting, a keynote speaker or a bike ride. Meals are such an important part of any event at Blackberry – we love to connect around the table! So, we couldn’t eliminate meals from the experience. We use venues that allow for each party to have their own table but still experience the meal with others safely distanced. The winemaker can still talk about the wines, and the chef can still talk about the dishes. It still brings us together to connect, in a bit more unique way than we had been used to. When guests are not seated for a tasting or a meal, masks are required in all indoor venues or when not able to properly distance outside. And of course, we are taking our already high standards of cleaning and sanitizing even more seriously.
Blackberry Farm has some long-standing annual events. How have you reimagined them to be as engaging without the heavy social elements?
Yes, we have some very special annual events that are known for their fun gatherings and social elements! Reducing our guest attendance numbers is one thing that really helps us keep some of these traditions alive. We are moving some fun activities outside where we can be safer, and we are creating new and different experiences to replace some of the previous activities that simply wouldn’t be as safe or comfortable right now.
BlackberryYear.com states, “Connect with friends and personalities like never before.” Can you give an example?
Our personalities are all experiencing this bizarre moment in time, like the rest of us. They are also anxious to have personal connections, meaningful conversations and enjoy some amazing food and wine! So, with the limited numbers creating a naturally more intimate environment, the recipe is perfect for the most unique and special connections. As an example, we are thrilled to have Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach coming to the Farm to do a keynote talk. They normally do big events for huge crowds, and I think they’re excited for the opportunity to really engage with a much smaller audience.
Are you adding virtual elements to the events? If so, how?
Yes, we do plan to utilize our virtual and social platforms to share additional content from our personalities and from our events. However, we do not plan to host virtual events as a replacement for our in-person events. Technology is an important tool for us to be able to share as much as possible, but we want to balance that with maintaining the integrity of the in-person, at Blackberry, experience and connection.
What happens if a visiting personality has to cancel?
If a personality has to cancel, we will adjust our plans uniquely to each event. For example, if one personality out of three for an event must cancel due to illness or travel restrictions, we will adjust the event agenda and activities to ensure that the remaining personalities are appropriately highlighted and that our guests receive nothing less than the level of experience they would expect from a Blackberry event. And of course, we would update our guests with any change and offer options – attend the event as planned, cancel their reservation with no penalty, etc. If an event is built around an individual personality, and that person must cancel, we would consider canceling the event and reaching out to each event guest with all available options for canceling or moving their reservation to a different event.
What if the pandemic situation changes?
We have always been good at the pivot – whether it be due to weather or now an ever-changing pandemic situation. We will keep adjusting as much as needed. Safety will always be our priority, as will the integrity of the experience. You can be sure that no matter where things go from here, we will be ready to adjust and focus our creative energy and efforts on ensuring that opportunities for connection happen in whatever manner is available to us.
What are you most excited about for events in 2021?
I am thrilled to learn from, and connect with, special people – Authors and Activists Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach, Chef Cheetie Kumar, Vintner Henri Gabriel, Yogi Chrissy Carter, Cycling Coach Robbie Ventura and more! This year, we are releasing our events on a quarterly basis so that we can continue to create and produce events that are both appropriately scaled and thoughtfully curated to match where we are as the year progresses. I think this gives us a really cool opportunity to keep getting excited for new things all year!