G-A Apple Festival returns for 31st edition Saturday

Tayamentasachta, the Greencastle-Antrim School District's Environmental Center, will offer a special attraction Saturday, Oct. 11, with apples as the star. The 31st annual Apple Festival and Antique Engine Display will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

There is no admission fee.

The festival will include anything dealing with apples, from foods and crafts to displays and demonstrations.  Many locally grown varieties of apples and apple products from Tracey's Orchard, Greencastle, will be on display and members of the Tracey family will be available to answer any questions about apples.  The apple dumpling gang will be working hard again making over 1,000 apple dumplings in the farmhouse kitchen for festival visitors to purchase and enjoy.  The cost of an apple dumpling is $3.50.  A special exhibit of antique engines and farm equipment by the Cumberland Valley Antique Engine and Machinery Association will also be featured. Charles Lindsay's team of Belgian horses will be there providing wagon rides along the picturesque trails of Tayamentasachta.

In addition to the many local artisan and craft demonstrators and displays, special activities for families will be offered by the Greencastle-Antrim High School's Art Club, such as scarecrow making, face painting and pumpkin decorating. A time traveling minstrel will entertain with historical stories, music and songs.  Families can also enjoy lunch at Tayamentasachta.  A benefit chicken barbecue by Michael will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will include barbecued chicken, cabbage slaw, baked potato, applesauce (complements of Knouse Foods), roll, cake and apple cider.  Advance chicken barbecue tickets are $8 and can be purchased in any of the Greencastle-Antrim schools.  Tickets will also be sold the day of the festival for $9.

The festival is hosted by the Environmental Education Advisory Committee with the purpose to educate the community about apples and the importance of our environment in our every day life.

Proceeds from the apple dumpling and chicken barbecue sales will benefit the Environmental Education Advisory Committee and will be used to support educational programs offered at Tayamentasachta.