FAIRHOPE, Ala. — The upstairs meeting room of the Fairhope Museum of History was packed Saturday for the first annual Elderberry Festival.

“You can go down any county road and see gazillions of them,” one woman told a friend, as they waited for the festival to start.

Several dozen people attended this year’s event to celebrate “ a lowland weed, prevalent everywhere in Baldwin County, that sustained (American) Indians, colonials, pioneers and Single Taxers with folk remedies, jams, jellies, pies, baked goods and wines,” according to a program for the day’s activities.

The audience came to hear about the history and current uses of black elderberry, or Sambucus Americana, which is found throughout the Southeastern United States and “was commonly used for foods and medicine not just by our ancestors, but by peoples around the world back to the Stone Age,” according to a flyer handed out at the festival.

Donnie Barrett, museum director, demonstrated how elderberry juice was made, with Sonya Bennett showing how elderberry pie was made and Elsie Butgereit showing the process for making elderberry jelly.

“You look for the ones where the stems get purple and limp,” said Barrett, as he held up a handful of elderberries hanging from a stem. “That’s when you know they’re ready.”

Barrett said that some people have the mistaken impression that elderberries are poisonous and two men stopped their vehicles as he was picking some recently to tell him that.

“So, we’re going to do an experiment today to see if they are poisonous,” he said.

He asked for a volunteer from the audience, and Eloise Rogers, a museum docent, stepped forward.

“Do you have health insurance?” he asked her. “Is there a doctor in the house?”

Rogers tried an elderberry, somewhat cautiously, and the audience laughed throughout this “experiment,” as Barrett would occasionally check in with her, to make sure she was OK.

The upstairs meeting room of the Fairhope Museum of History was packed Saturday for the first annual Elderberry Festival.

“You can go down any county road and see gazillions of them,” one woman told a friend, as they waited for the festival to start.

Several dozen people attended this year’s event to celebrate “ a lowland weed, prevalent everywhere in Baldwin County, that sustained (American) Indians, colonials, pioneers and Single Taxers with folk remedies, jams, jellies, pies, baked goods and wines,” according to a program for the day’s activities.

The audience came to hear about the history and current uses of black elderberry, or Sambucus Americana, which is found throughout the Southeastern United States and “was commonly used for foods and medicine not just by our ancestors, but by peoples around the world back to the Stone Age,” according to a flyer handed out at the festival.

Donnie Barrett, museum director, demonstrated how elderberry juice was made, with Sonya Bennett showing how elderberry pie was made and Elsie Butgereit showing the process for making elderberry jelly.

“You look for the ones where the stems get purple and limp,” said Barrett, as he held up a handful of elderberries hanging from a stem. “That’s when you know they’re ready.”

Barrett said that some people have the mistaken impression that elderberries are poisonous and two men stopped their vehicles as he was picking some recently to tell him that.

“So, we’re going to do an experiment today to see if they are poisonous,” he said.

He asked for a volunteer from the audience, and Eloise Rogers, a museum docent, stepped forward.

“Do you have health insurance?” he asked her. “Is there a doctor in the house?”

Rogers tried an elderberry, somewhat cautiously, and the audience laughed throughout this “experiment,” as Barrett would occasionally check in with her, to make sure she was OK.

After he checked her pulse, he announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, she is alive. Therefore, we have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that elderberries are not poisonous.”

Barrett said the elderberry is well known for its health benefits, with research showing the fruit has among the highest concentrations of antioxidants, contributes to cancer prevention and is credited with shortening some strains of influenza.

“We have forgotten about the uses and value of elderberries because we don’t process our own food anymore,” Barrett said as he made the berries into juice. “But our ancestors knew all about them. I drink a glass every morning. I think it’s very good for you.”