Finally, it is September and this Labor Day weekend is the North Carolina Apple Festival in Hendersonville. I am enjoying the weekend, and celebrating the beginning of the fall season. According to the weather guy, meteorological fall begins September 1, even if the true season based on the Autumnal equinox begins September 22. I have posted about this festival almost every year I’ve been blogging, and it is still a most anticipated event. I’ve linked some of my previous posts to show you more. Apple treats are available at vendors all down Main street, from French Apple Beignets and fried pies, to ice cream. See more treats on my post Apple Festival Food.
The Apple Festival vendor booths are full of apple varieties and apple them gifts. See some of those, some of the music shows, and the car show sponsored by our British Car Club on that link.
Here’s my picnic quilt in the quilt show from the only time I entered, and all the entries had to have apples. I think they stopped doing this part of the festival a few years ago.
The King Apple Parade is an annual part of the event, taking place on Labor Day each year. I think every municipality in the county sends a fire truck, with all the sirens and horns blasting as they go down the street. There are high school bands, and lots of floats too. The parade lasts about 45 minutes!
The British Car Club was once again at Laurel Park on Saturday for their annual show in conjunction with Apple Festival. Only our members participate, it isn’t a big show, only about a dozen cars. My Sweet Babboo was there on Saturday.
One year, I showed some of the characters walking around the street during the festival, like this guy. I cannot imagine how hot this costume must be, but the guy inside was hamming it up.
In 2020, the street festival was canceled, and all we could do was visit orchards. We went out early one day, Visiting the Apple Orchards, and I got some great shots of orchards and apples. We had to wear masks that year, and we didn’t stay anywhere long, but it was something to do after a long lockdown. The orchards tried hard to do festive displays along with a variety of apples to buy.
About halfway down that post, you’ll see a photo of some Jonagold apples high in a tree that I took that day. I entered that photo in the following Mountain State Fair, and was thunderstruck to see not only a first place ribbon on it in the Agriculture category, but a Best Of Show for all categories of Amateur Photography for 2021!! I can’t wait for this year’s fair to see what might happen with my photos. I am ever hopeful.
Also last year, my Apple Galette won a first place in the Apple Cooking Competition. Here’s that recipe – Spiced Apple Galette if you’d like it.
We’ll be heading downtown for part of the weekend and probably going on Monday for the parade. While My Sweet Babboo was at Laurel Park yesterday for the car show, I assisted a friend with his pottery booth at one of the apple orchards. On Tuesday, I will work the check in table for the quilt competition at the NC Mountain State Fair. It’s almost here!!
What are your plans for this holiday weekend?
From My Carolina Home 
Put on your roller skates Carole!!
September and apples seem to go together. Lots of fun activities, Carole. Wishing you a lovely Labor Day Weekend!
We are visiting with our granddaughter who is a freshman at Western Carolina. Rainey but enjoying her company.
Here in SE Nebraska, Nebraska City celebrates Apple Jack Festival the middle of the month. My quilt guild, Heritage Needlework Guild, hosts a yearly quilt show – always a big draw. Love this time of year! Thanks for the recipe – will have to make it with the apples gotten from the orchards!
I’m at booth 36 in front of the visitors center with the Korean War Veterans Association. We are raising funds to connect the two generations who served in Korea. We will be there today 10-6 and in the parade on Monday. The jeep club is providing jeeps including Old Glory! Hope to see you there!
Sounds like lots of fun for you! Nothing like that here, so it’s a quiet weekend for us. Several years ago we went to upstate New York for a September trip, and the apple harvest was happening. We stopped at some roadside stands and bought different varieties of apples – they were the best we’ve ever had! There’s nothing like freshly picked fruit!
What a fun festival! I’m sorry they stopped doing the quilt competition – I wonder why? I saved your apple galette recipe – my husband loves caramel and apples, so I’m going to make it as a surprise for him. I don’t have honey crisp right now, but I do have cosmic crisp apples which I think are similar (and cheaper in our area 🙂 ) I’m at our Arizona home this month (I travel between Texas and Arizona, where my husband works). We’re at about 4600-4800 ft elevation, so it’s much cooler than Tucson/Phoenix – it almost feels like fall in the early mornings 🙂 It’s the annual rodeo down the road (Sonoita, AZ), but I just got a brand new sewing/embroidery machine so I’m torn with my desire to watch the rodeo or just stay in the sewing room and sew/embroider, lol.
It looks like a wonderful time! Have fun!!!
Such a fun time of year and your events sound wonderful! I am enjoying stitching down binding this weekend…cloudy and occasional drizzle outside, but nice for me…don’t have to worry about watering!
Nothing special going on here. Our apple harvest is just beginning in western NY. I should go to the farm market and see if there are any peaches left. Good luck with all your fair entries. I’m sure you’ll bring home some ribbons as usual.
Early apples are just making an appearance, we still have bushels of peaches available. We haven’t had a lot of rainy days, all the sunshine is making some extra delicious produce. After sitting on the fence just looking for a few years I look advantage of a floor model sale & bought a little embroidery machine. Yesterday I added some embroidery to blocks for the next quilt I’m making. It’s threatening rain today, good day to start joining blocks.
Thank you for sharing the apple recipe
Love that everyone is out and about again! Your apple Galettes are so yummy! I have 2 foster pups plus my own but they can’t walk together – they just tie knots – so walking 3 in the morning and 3 in the evening. I’ also making some tote bags from (clean unused) dog food bags for a dog event this weekend. I really need to get back to sewing/quilting!
This always looks like a wonderful event. You can’t go wrong with apples.
Oh Apple season! Where I live it’s Hatch Chiles being roasted in the parking lot of every grocery store in town. (And yes, that’s how we spell chiles in NM) But I remember apple season, cider mills and cider donuts from my many years in Michigan and I miss that very much. How lucky you are!
I’m working on quilts: my grandson’s and a Welsh quilt, and knitting a wide striped sweater in soft gray and blues for when the weather turns cold later in the year. I’m working hard at not buying or making anything pumpkin until October so I was thrilled to print off your easy apple gallette recipe to make. I just need to get myself some caramel sauce and I’m all set. Thank you Carole for sharing your prize winning recipe.
Congratulations on your past winnings and good luck this year!
Lots of fun and activity once again…….
Lots of fun and activity once again……. Goodluck with the apple dish……
This looks like so much fun! Congrats on your past blue ribbons and have fun today!
We just recently moved to WNC and didn’t know about the apple festival in Hendersonville. That would have been a fun weekend activity. The apple festival in Waynesville isn’t until October 15th. Does that seem late to you? Also, I started making your Spiced Apple Galette last year and it has been a family favorite ever since.
Congratulations, you best in show winner! That’s just fabulous!
It looks like a wonderful event and such fun with the car show and parade, too. Perfect way to end the summer season.
Congratulations, Carole, and good luck at the fair! You’re a winner always in my book! Can’t wait to see your entries and ribbons!
Oh my goodness!! HOW fun!!!
What a fun festival this is! You Apple galette looks yummy…I took some plums out of the freezer this morning, I’m thinking a plum galette or a plum cake might have to be on todays agenda!