From the Gridiron to the Grill: Ocean Spray Turns Up the Heat Between New England and New York with Tailgating Recipe Contest

Dueling Fans Create their Favorite Cranberry Football Fixings for Chance to Win Tickets to the Oct. 21 Patriots vs. New York Game

LAKEVILLE-MIDDLEBORO, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Ocean Spray is calling both New England and New York fans nationwide to see who would win a tailgating throw down! Now through Sept. 30, fans of these red-zone rivals can submit their cranberry-inspired creations through Ocean Spray’s Facebook page for a chance to win tickets to the Oct. 21 Patriots game.

“With an MVP like cranberry it doesn’t matter if you bleed New York green or Patriots blue”

This is the fourth year the Massachusetts-based cranberry cooperative has hosted the Ultimate Cranberry Tailgating Recipe Contest. This year, fans can pledge allegiance to their native New England or New York team by submitting cranberry-inspired recipes through Sept. 30. Entries will be judged on creativity, use of Ocean Spray product, taste and ease of preparation.

"With an MVP like cranberry it doesn’t matter if you bleed New York green or Patriots blue," said Larry Martin, vice president of marketing at Ocean Spray. "The big, bold taste of cranberry can transform any tailgate dish into something bold and full of flavor."

The recipe contest precedes Ocean Spray’s Fall Harvest Festival at Patriot Place, Saturday, Oct. 13. Festival activities are open to all ages and include a cranberry harvest demonstration at Foxborough's last active cranberry bog, hayrides, pumpkin carving and a farmers' market. Patriot Place's restaurants will also offer a Taste of Patriot Place, with free samples of menu items highlighting New England’s favorite fall fruit, the cranberry.

Prize

The grand prize winner will receive two tickets to the Oct. 21 New England Patriots game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., and the winning recipe will be featured in Ocean Spray’s Community Kitchen at www.oceanspray.com. Past winners include Denise LaRoche’s Chicken Sidekick Sliders with Spicy Cranberry Aioli and Katie Pelczar’s Grilled Bacon Apple Bites with Chunky Cranberry Spread.

For additional details and official entry guidelines, visit www.facebook.com/oceanspray.

About Ocean Spray

Ocean Spray is an agricultural cooperative owned by more than 700 cranberry growers in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and other parts of Canada as well as 35 Florida grapefruit growers. Ocean Spray was formed over 80 years ago by three cranberry growers from Massachusetts and New Jersey. Florida grapefruit growers joined the Cooperative in 1976. Ocean Spray is North America's leading producer of bottled juices and juice drinks, and has been the best-selling brand name in the bottled juice category since 1981. Ocean Spray posted fiscal 2011 gross sales of $2.1 billion and net proceeds of $321 million.