Good time had by all at 20th Apple Fest

GREENE — This year marked the 20th anniversary of Applefest. Despite the wet weather and occasional rain, the event played host to hundreds of pedestrians and vendors Saturday. “This is a community event. We are very happy to put this on every year,” said event director Alice Cobb.

This year had the presence of the two people credited for creating the idea of the first Applefest – Harry Davis and his wife Virginia. “We needed a way to generate some money and we knew you could do more with apples than any other fruit,” said Harry. The couple were crowned king and queen of the event and special thanks was offered to both of them by the Methodist church.

Applefest for the last 20 years has been sponsored by the First United Methodist Church of Greene. A committee of about 15 volunteers help organize the event and about 100 more help bring it all together. The proceeds are taken by the Methodist Church and much of it is given to local religious charities.

Applefest was ripe with a variety of activities and vendors. One could enjoy horse riding, wagon rides or get a taste of a variety of autumn styled delights such as cider, apple butter and more. The members of the church home baked 826 pies and had almost 100 sold before they event even began, said Cobb. There were also 157 vendor locations at this year’s event. “Some vendors came all the way from the New York City area and all of them non-commercial vendors,” said Earl Howell. Earl and his wife Thanna Howell are responsible handling the vendors at Applefest. “It’s a family oriented festival with lots of activities. There is no charge for admission or parking, you can come down have a good time and a very cheap day,” said Earl.