Pomegranate Festival in Madera canceled due to coronavirus

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the annual Pomegranate Festival in Madera but growers said it has been a good season.

Strong winds finally gave us the feel of fall. Pomegranates bobbing in the breeze were primed for picking.

Grower Alex Lehman didn't mind the cool-down one bit.

He explained, "What that means is that the weather's gonna change and we certainly need rain."

Alex and his wife Jackie own Home Grown Cellars on Road 20 near Avenue 13 1/2..

They do more than just sell the crop as fresh fruit.

Lehman said, "What we do not send out for packing, we process our juice and it's been said that our juice is the best-tasting on the planet."

The Lehmans also sell pomegranate jelly and pomegranate syrup at their Madera farm.

Lehman said, "Pomegranates are popular because of the high antioxidants"

They understood why the Pomegranate Festival had to be canceled last weekend but missed the annual gathering.

Lehman said, "We're an ag community here and we have a lot of folks that come and there's a lot of conversation."

And everyone was talking about the change in season.