Living

Have bushels of fun at North Carolina Apple Festival

North Carolina Apple Festival 

For over 70 years, thousands have spent their Labor Day weekend at Western North Carolina’s premier family festival, the North Carolina Apple Festival in Hendersonville.

From Friday, Aug. 30 through Monday, Sept. 2, you can enjoy four days of fun at one of the best known street fairs in the Carolinas.

>> Apple pickin' in the Carolinas

Over 200 vendors will fill nine blocks of beautiful Main Street with arts and crafts, festival food, free entertainment, and plenty of freshly picked apples. Purchase fresh apples from one of 15 local growers or enjoy a caramel apple, fried apple pie, apple butter or some apple cider!

Live entertainment runs all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the historic courthouse. There are also plenty of rides and inflatables for the kids to enjoy as well.

The King Apple Parade at 2:30 p.m. on Monday is one of the highlights of the Apple Festival and is held on Labor Day each year. The parade features professional floats, bands, youth groups, antique cars, fire trucks and many others, and provides a spectacular finale for the event.

Street Fair hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Entertainment runs Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. On Labor Day, hours are from 10 a.m. until the end of the parade.

For directions or parking information, click here

For more details, visit ncapplefestival.org.

Fascinating Festival Facts:  The apple is one of the most important agricultural crops grown in Henderson County.  During a normal year, it brings in an average $22 million or more. Growing apples has been part of Henderson County's culture and heritage since the mid-1700s.

Today there are approximately 200 apple growers in Henderson County.

North Carolina is the seventh largest apple-producing state in the nation and Henderson County grows 65 percent of all apples in North Carolina.