Celebrate tradition at Burlington’s annual Apple Harvest Festival.
written by CARYN GRESHAM
In the October 1974 Burlington United Methodist Family Services (BUMFS) newsletter, President Rosie Pyle reported that the first Burlington Old-Fashioned Apple Harvest Festival was a success. Ladies of the organization made one kettle of apple butter the traditional way by harvesting and peeling local apples, stirring them in a copper kettle over an open fire, and canning the resulting mixture. The sale of the apple butter raised funds for the local children’s home. “Hopefully this could be a good annual fundraiser and dedicated to a good time,” Pyle wrote.
This year—50 years later—the festival is held at the Burlington United Methodist campus and the Burlington Fire Station on October 5 and 6 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Men and women of the church, and local communities and volunteers from as far away as Bay City, Michigan, will spend the week before the festival preparing up to 2,000 gallons of apple butter in the same way. The proceeds benefit BUMFS youth and women’s recovery residence programs located in West Virginia and in Garrett County, Maryland.
“Anyone who has been involved with the festival will tell you there are two great things about it,” says Ted Heckert, BUMFS Auxiliary president. “Those are the love that goes into hosting the festival and helping children and the camaraderie of seeing old friends and making new ones.”
The festival and apple butter making are like one big family reunion, says BUMFS Auxiliary Secretary Cheryl George. “This is a family-focused event, and we look for ways to make it more appealing to our guests.” George has been attending the festival since its inception and remembers enjoying the car show with her parents. “The festival has grown, and we’ve moved the car show, complete with antique tractors and equipment, to the Burlington Fire Station grounds.”
The festival is free to attend. Festivalgoers can participate in traditional apple butter making on Saturday, and on both days, they can enjoy the outdoor market, with more than 100 vendors, arts and crafts booths, and live music from traditional performers. There are activities and games for children and adults, too. On Sunday, the festival features fiddle, banjo, and mandolin contests open to all ages.
Wonderful food from local vendors and food trucks remains a focus of the festival. Along with homemade apple dumplings, which are a signature food tradition, there will be plenty of choices, from hot dogs and ham sandwiches to sweet treats.
And there is the apple butter. “Last year, we sold out by mid-afternoon on Saturday,” says Heckert. “We purchase our apples locally from Shanholtz Farms in Romney. Once the truck pulls in, the work and fun begin. If people want to come a few days early, we’ll be glad to have them help make apple butter.”
120 Hope Lane, Burlington, bumfs.org/apple-harvest-festival, @bumfs1913 on FB
READ MORE ARTICLES FROM WV LIVING’S FALL 2024 ISSUE
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