MANHEIM, PA – Four Seasons Produce, a wholesaler based in Ephrata, PA, that is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026, hosted its fourth annual Fresh Fest Independent Retailer Trade Show & Conference on April 21 at The Junction Center, here. In all, more than 400 attendees gathered in this rural area of the Keystone State to network and promote their items to independent retailers and natural food store leaders.

When planning for the inaugural Fresh Fest in 2023, Four Seasons Vice President and General Manager Jon Steffy said at the time that the main theme was “connection,” and the goal of Fresh Fest was to create an event to bring the supply chain together. “Connection is vital for building partnerships that grow and thrive,” he stated.

That theme was still very much in play during the fourth iteration of Fresh Fest, according to Ginny Williams, director of business development at Four Seasons, who plays a large part in organizing the show.

“Connection is certainly the driving theme,” she said. “We look to connect grower-shippers directly with retailers to learn about each other’s needs and goals, and to share strategies and ideas to work collaboratively in support of one another.”

By all accounts, the fourth annual event hit the mark on that goal, as attendees were provided ample networking opportunities, including a tour of Four Seasons’ facilities in Ephrata prior to a festive opening reception on April 20 and a compelling presentation on April 21 ahead of the trade show portion of the day.

“We had an overwhelming number of attendees participating in a scheduled tour of our warehouse on Monday afternoon, which was a great way to show off our facilities and have time to connect with our sales and buying teams,” said Williams. “Also holding our opening reception at Elizabeth Farms, an iconic Lancaster County Christmas tree farm, provided a beautiful venue for 250 attendees to network and enjoy fellowship time prior to the trade show.” 

Prior to the opening of the April 21 trade show, keynote speaker Dan Thurmon entertained and inspired attendees to embrace the imbalances of life as a way to move forward in their personal and professional development. To illustrate those imbalances, Thurmon used unique methods derived from his background as an acrobat and performer, including entering the stage with a back handspring, juggling a set of sharpened weapons and riding a six-foot unicycle through the audience. 

In one interactive exercise, Thurmon passed out peacock quills to all audience members and asked them to balance them in their palms while looking at their palms. When that proved impossible he reframed the exercise and had the audience instead look at the top of their quills, which was much easier since they could see how the quill was leaning and adjust accordingly. Audience members quickly grasped his concept that in order to make adjustments, one needs to keep their head up to see the imbalances.

Following the keynote, the trade show tent opened to attendees, who were able to browse the offerings of the more than 90 vendors who participated. Four Seasons also provided four different food trucks with a variety of offerings for lunch featuring locally produced foods.

Williams said plans are already under way for next year’s Fresh Fest, which will be held May 4. “We will continue to listen to feedback and suggestions from our customers and suppliers so that we can keep raising the bar for Fresh Fest,” said Williams. “It has become a much-anticipated event in just the four years since it started, and we look forward to holding another outstanding event in 2027 – with another exciting keynote!”

Top photo: Jon Steffy, vice president and general manager at Four Seasons Produce, welcomed attendees to the company’s fourth annual Fresh Fest Independent Retailer Trade Show and Conference, held April 21 in Manheim, PA, near the company’s headquarters.