Adams County, Pennsylvania will be the site of the 54th Annual Apple Blossom Festival on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3, 2009.
Highlights of the 2009 Festival include free live entertainment (Carroll County Cloggers, Mexican Club Dancers, Apple Core Band, Creekside Soul, Borderline, Green Mountain Porch Pickers and Ray Owen); free orchard bus tours; wine, cheese and chocolate tasting and sales; hundreds of arts and craft demonstrations and sales;
wagon rides; agricultural exhibits and the presentation of the 2009 PA Apple Queen. On Sunday, judging of the apple queen contestants begins at 11:30 a.m. and crowning of the PA Apple Queen takes place at 2:30 p.m.
Children's activities include free apple pie eating and apple bobbing contests; petting zoo; pony rides; puppet shows; magic shows; a mini golf course and kiddie tractor pulls. A new venue for this year is "Puppet Meister Productions," offering a bounce, slide, climbing wall, sand art and spin art activities. The Adams
County SPCA will also entertain children and adults alike with their amazing agility performing dogs.
This family-oriented event is held annually at the South Mountain Fairgrounds, located 10 miles northwest of historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on Route 234, near Arendtsville, PA. The Fairgrounds are situated in the middle of scenic Adams County's 20,000 acres of orchards - apple, peach and cherry trees, which are usually
in full bloom during festival week. The Festival gates will be open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. each day. Parking is plentiful and free. General admission is very affordable with a gate-fee of $5 for adults. Children under 12 years of age are free.
Adams County fruit growers produce over seven-million bushels of apples each year and would like to invite you to view, enjoy and learn about their apple industry through the free orchard tours that are offered at the Festival This year, we will also offer historical tours to Yellow Hill and to Buchanan Valley; presented by
local historian, Deb McCauslin. During the Yellow Hill tour, you will learn about Adams County's role in the Underground Railroad. During the Buchanan Valley tour, you will learn about Mary Jemison who was captured during an Indian raid.
Attractions, both days, promise to delight both young and old. Take a step back in time and enjoy the antique cars, gas hit-miss-engines and a variety of vintage tractors. Come see a gathering of classic corvettes as they converge on the festival grounds this year.
A wide variety of food will be available during the Festival, including many apple products such as: fresh locally grown apples, cider, apple butter, apple crisp, apple sundaes, dumplings, pies and candied apples. In addition, chicken barbecue will be available, plus homemade scrapple, country sausage, pit beef, Dutch
funnel cakes, French fries, roasted nuts, crab cakes, wraps, quesadillas, homemade root beer floats, gourmet coffee and so much more. Come for breakfast and stay for dinner!
The Apple Blossom Festival is sponsored by the Adams County Fruit Growers Association, a local farmer-supported organization. Come join us and take home some wonderful memories (along with exceptional apple treats.) For further information, contact: Brenda Cressler, Adams County Fruit Growers Association, 33 Musselman Ave.,
Biglerville, PA 17307 at (717) 677-7444 or by email at acfga@comcast.net.
