Fall is here, and it’s time to get ready for the 29th-annual Taylorsville Apple Festival. On Saturday, October 21, 2017, 9am-5pm, head to Downtown Taylorsville, North Carolina (Alexander County) for a day filled with family fun, entertainment, and local apples and cider.
The festival will bring to town over 420 booths this year, plus the Kids Korner, food, professional and medical vendors,, various craft and novelty vendors and many more — all on the streets of Taylorsville NC for the Apple Festival.
Whether you are looking for a hearty meal or something sweet, you’ll likely find it at the Apple Festival. Expect a host of food vendors offering barbecue ribs/chicken, pulled pork, steak sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers, turkey legs, egg rolls, crab cakes, fish, wings, Mexican food, gourmet apples, blooming onions along with funnel cakes, homemade giant donuts, deep fried Twinkies, kettle corn, fried apple pies, candy apples, ice cream and Mexican ice cream, gourmet cotton candy, fudge, smoothies, Hawaiian ice, and many other choices.
Once again there will also be three entertainment stages:
The Main stage entertainment this year, located on the courthouse lawn, will be hosting a variety of music including performances by Chad Triplett and Two Lane Blacktop, Red Dirt Revival, Nunya Bizness, Firebone and Alter Ego; with some of our popular home grown performers from various counties the Clater-Kaye Theatreworks, our local dance studios, plus showcasing our own ACHS Band.
The Gospel stage will bring numerous gospel groups; a few local hometown favorites; Carolina Express and Gospel Friends, as well as numerous groups from out of town including the Heavenview Singers, the Carolina Family Quartet, Iredell Choral Society and for the first time this year the professional touring gospel group The Bledsoes. Make sure to visit Matt Helms from JOY FM that will be setup at the Gospel Stage and who will be the Host and MC for the day at the Gospel Stage.
The Kids Korner stage will have numerous types of dance provided by All That Dance, Sims Country Cloggers, In His Steps, Parallel Dance Collaborative and also musical entertainment including our ACHS, EAST and WEST Bands, and the Clater-Kaye Theatreworks and a special appearance by Ronald McDonald.
Make sure to visit the Kids Korner behind BB&T to ride ponies/camels and enjoy rides and attractions furnished by Recreational Equipment out of Huntersville NC.
The Car, Truck and Bike show will be at the Town Ball Park — and be sure to check out the NASCAR race cars, military vehicles, and more on the Taylorsville Savings Bank parking deck.
Enter a contest to put your talents to the test! Challenges this year include Apple Dessert and Apple Peeling contests, plus a Kids Candy Apple Art contest.
Children, and adults, may enjoy a wide variety of activities, including:
- dance with Mickey and Minnie Mouse
- find Minions running around the festival along with other characters
- say hello to Taylorsville’s resident fairy Brucie Abella and her friends
- visit Buffalo Beal’s petting zoo
- stop for face painting
- catch a ride on the Little Blue Choo
- take a Future Farmers of America (FFA) hay ride
- make candle at the Layered Candle Workshop tent
- free health screenings
- vendor offerings and giveaways
- see the Shriners, with Christmas boxed country ham available for purchase
- pick up some locally-grown muscadines
- And, of course, stop by the apple vendors selling locally-grown apples and delicious apple cider!
There will be something for everyone to do, buy and enjoy so come out and support Taylorsville Apple Festival Inc. Details on the Taylorsville Apple Festival may be found at www.alexandercountyonline.com/applefestival, along with information on other annual county events. Festival updates may be posted to their Facebook page.
If you are a vendor and would like to participate in the festival, there are just a few booths left as of this writing. Contact the Taylorsville Apple Festival office at 828.632.2999, via email, or (if local) stop by their Taylorsville office.
Taylorsville Apple Festival, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charity and all proceeds above operating costs go to the Needy Children’s Benevolence Funds in the 13 Alexander County Schools.
Source: Gina Kay Honosky, Taylorsville Apple Festival, Inc.