Michigan blueberry season is underway and National Blueberry Festival is returning to South Haven for the 59th year.

Running Aug. 11-14, this bluer-than-blue fest is one of the oldest fruit festivals in Michigan, making it a rare treat and a “must” for blueberry lovers and festival-lovers.

Blueberry Festival began in 1963, primarily as a blueberry-baking and recipe competition put on by South Haven residents. The festival has become an iconic celebration of Michigan’s blueberry harvest, which has grown to become a vital economic source for agriculture.

South Haven is the state's leader for high bush blueberry production, giving  Michiganders plenty of blue-berried reason to celebrate it.

Event organizers have been keen to preserve the festival’s traditions, such as the National Blueberry Festival parade, but also worked to evolve with the times, expanding events offered each year.

The stars of the show are local blueberry farms, ensuring there will be plenty of fresh-picked blue gems to go around. Also featured are activities for all ages and a complimentary shuttle from off-site parking locations to festival events each day.

For those who prefer a little less action or driving, Michigan is abundant in blueberry farms, and your local farm stand is sure to have plenty of fresh-picked beauties to suit anyone with closer-to-home needs.

Looking to teach my grandchildren about the benefits of blueberries, I explained that blueberries get their superpower strength from their color, much like Samson from the Bible got his strength from his hair.

Reading a study posted on the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology website, we learned that eating blueberries can correct vascular complications and gut imbalances in aged mice, evidence that adding blueberries to our plates could improve our health, too.

After reading this, the grandchildren chirped, “Gosh, Grandma, you should be eating blueberries every day.” Out of the mouths of babes!

Here are ways to embrace Michigan’s oh-so-sweet summertime blues. Enjoy!

For additional information about National Blueberry Festival in South Haven, visit blueberryfestival.com. To read more about the study, visit bit.ly/3Bolno4.

Laura Kurella is an award-winning recipe developer and food columnist who loves sharing recipes from her Michigan kitchen. She welcomes your comments at laurakurella.com.

4 ounces Neufchatel or cream cheese

splash of fresh lemon juice

Using an electric mixer, whip cream cheese, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of the honey until smooth. Top each cracker with 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture, sprinkle blueberries over the top of the cheese, then drizzle each cracker with remaining honey. Prep Time: 5 minutes. Yield: 4 servings

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square pan. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a mixer, cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Fold in blueberries. Pour batter into the prepared pan. In a small bowl, combine dry topping ingredients then cut in butter until crumbly then sprinkle over batter. Bake for 45 minutes until the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool. Approximate servings per recipe: 12.

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash sweet potatoes thoroughly. Pierce holes in the all over with a fork and wrap each one with foil. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are soft and tender. Once the sweet potatoes have cooked, let them rest for about 10 minutes to cool. Slice cooked sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and use a fork to fluff up the potatoes. Top each sweet potato with blueberries, walnuts, and cinnamon. Drizzle with honey, if desired. Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Yield: 4 servings.