Apple Festival Saturday, September 19, 2009
Apple Festival IS CANCELED 9/19/2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009, 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CANCELED
Apple Fest 2009 Flier [pdf/192kb/1p]
Come and celebrate the harvest at Apple Festival 2009. Unique crafts, traditional music and food fill Historic Bethabara Park. Local orchards, handicraft demonstrations, and colonial re-enactors highlight this festival, as do horse-drawn wagon rides and colonial games.
This year's music includes:
- Mel Jones' & His Bag O Bones- The "Bones" have taken on many forms to become the powerhouse masters of acoustic blues that they showcase today.
- Steve & Ruth - play both traditional and original American music on the hammer dulcimer and guitar.
- Bruce Piephoff & Band - Bruce Piephoff-vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica and songwriter. Scott Manring-backup on guitar, dobro, mandolin, banjo, national steel guitar. Pat Lawrence-upright bass.
This year's Vendors & Craftsmen include:
| Craftsmen |
|
Carolina Wood Crafters |
| Cindy Poindexter Basket's |
| Courtry Tin Shoppe |
| Faulkner Woodworks |
| Forsyth Coutry Genealogical Society |
| Freedom Farm Soaps |
| Frivolite & Such |
| JT's Wooden Toys |
| Lazy Lizzard Pottery |
| Mackey Ferry Peanuts & Gifts |
| Mountain Flower Lamp & Shades |
| Out of the Ashes Forge |
| Parnell Family Weavers |
| Sandy Lane Apiary |
| Soo Boo Design |
| Steven Martin |
| The Appalachian Shed |
|
Food Vendors |
| 4 B's Concessions |
| Anna's Sweet Treats |
| Blue Ridge Ice Cream |
| Carter's |
| D & D Concessions |
| Dino's Hotdogs |
| Inga's Apples |
| Mina Beana Cafe |
| Mrs. Picky Fanicky's |
| Murphy's Apples |
| Nancy's Fried Pies |
| Rainbow Catering |
When Moravians arrived in Bethabara in 1753, they almost immediately set about planting apple trees from seeds brought from Europe. According to records, it was recommended to plant six apple trees for every family member.
Within a few years, all the hills around the Park were filled with apple orchards. It is estimated between five and eight acres, according to the maps the Moravians kept.
Apples were among Bethabara's biggest products, probably not far behind cattle. The settlers also probably traded grafts from apple trees to pioneers who passed through Bethabara on their way out West.
Historically, apples were a big part of American life. In the Piedmont, people mostly dried apples but the Moravians built root cellars where fresh apples could be kept for a long time.
Apples were used the same as today - dried apples in pies, apple cider to drink, as a side dish and as vinegar.
We celebrate Apple Festival with a tribute to the Moravian way of life on this day.

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