(This article may or may not contain affiliate links. What does that mean?)
In the 18th century, the Pennsylvania Dutch harvested a ridiculous amount of apples. Because they would rot quickly if not eaten, the settlers spent entire weekends stirring enormous pots of apple butter over open fires. This became the first apple butter fest!
Similarly, in the 1980s, every September, usually a couple of weekends after school had started, my family would make our annual pilgrimage to the local apple orchard. We would load our car with bushels and pecks of Jonathans, Jonagold, and Red Delicious. For at least two weeks, we would consume little else than those tiny, perfect sun-ripened apples. Had we known what the Pennsylvania Dutch settlers knew in the 1700s about conserving one’s apple harvest, we might have gone the old-fashioned way and been enjoying apple butter on our toast for the rest of the year.
Apple butter was born from the settlers’ desire to preserve their abundant apple harvest. Thank goodness it was! Today, these time-weathered traditions have evolved into community-building traditional apple festivals across the USA.
Join us on a mouthwatering journey down an All-American US Route through five must-visit apple butter festivals in the USA! (Because honestly who has time to stir their own cauldrons of apple butter these days?!)
[lwptoc]
NO TIME TO ENJOY THIS ARTICLE NOW? PIN IT OR BOOKMARK IT FOR LATER!
National Apple Harvest Festival, Pennsylvania
On a crisp Saturday morning, I wandered through the town streets of the National Apple Harvest Festival in Pennsylvania with my three sons. The air was rich with the scent of apples and cinnamon. (Think a Yankee Candle Shop in September all lit up.)
We stopped to watch a rosy-cheeked woman in an apron covered in a polka-dot pattern of red and pink apples (because, of course, what else would this woman be wearing) stir a large copper kettle bubbling with thick, dark apple butter- the undisputed star of the festival.
We watched as she scooped a smidge of apple butter into a small blue saucer. After a minute, she shook her head, showed us the watery ring that had formed around the apple butter, discarded it (into her mouth!), and went back to stirring.
“Almost,” she purred.
Michael tugged at my shirt. I looked down.
“What does she mean?” he asked.
“I don’t think it is ready yet.”
When you supervise your kids making apple butter and wonder if this qualifies as an extreme sport. Did they have extreme sports in the 1800s? ©WikiCommons
The day of the festival was filled with fine arts, live entertainment (puppets and music), and craft stalls brimming with handmade goods. Food trucks lined up, offering apple butter BBQ (weird but delicious!), apple cider donuts, and even apple butter-infused cocktails. (To be sure, an Apple-Butter Old Fashioned has had me planning a return visit for months.)
The boys had a blast in the kids’ corner with face painting, apple bobbing, and apple craft making. It provided a day’s worth of family-friendly games! Meanwhile, I shopped at the artisan market, where I scored the sweetest apple apron, just like the rosy-cheeked lady wore, except with ruffles.
Before we visited, we checked the reviews on Yelp and Google. They raved about the friendly atmosphere and the variety of activities. One reviewer advised to get there early (before the gates open) to beat the crowds and to carry a large backpack for all of the shopping.
The reviewer was right: avoid the crowds by planning to get there early. Then we recommend choosing a comfortable hotel to relax in during the afternoon.
DON’T MISS! An Incredible Fall Trip to the White Mountains of NH
Where To Stay By The National Apple Harvest Festival
In fact, we recommend staying at the Hotel Gettysburg, which is comfortable and conveniently located in the heart of the historic district. Be sure to reserve early, and do ask for a cozy room with a gas fireplace and a view of Lincoln Square.
Hotel Gettysburg bedroom with a charming street view. ©HotelGettysburg
Brushy Mountain Apple Festival, North Carolina
Nestled in North Carolina, the Brushy Mountain Apple Festival is the perfect excuse to visit this charming part of the USA. While the apple festival is only a day long, boy, they sure do pack a lot into that one day. And it’s free!
Live music, with free admission, is as much a featured star as the apples themselves, and Bluegrass, specifically, is the headliner.
Bluegrass was born in the Appalachian Mountains in the 1940s. Because many Scottish Americans settled in this region of the US, the feeling of Bluegrass is reminiscent of Scottish folk music. The Bluegrass music’s quick beat and “high lonesome” notes marry perfectly with the mountain twang of the locals. To be sure, Bluegrass will be performed on at least one stage for the duration of the festival. Locals will bring a lawn chair, and visitors should too.
A highlight of the event was meeting the proud orchardists, who gave us a peek into the life of running their farms. There are orchardists who have preserved history by cultivating heritage apples that they have passed down in their family since their Appalachian land was first settled in the early 1800s.
The festival is full of music, dancing, and eating unique to this part of our country, and that is reason enough to visit. However, it is also a major fundraiser for the community. Once visitors get to know this welcoming community, they will just want to buy all of the apples!
Although the festival is only a day long, we recommend staying longer. The fall is by far the most beautiful time to visit the mountains in North Carolina.
DON’T MISS! 7 Unforgettable Fall Festivals In 2024
Feet-tapping Bluegrass music takes the stage. ©Unsplash
Where To Stay By The Brushy Mountain Apple Festival
Find a good night’s rest at the budget-friendly Hampton Inn in Wilkesboro, which is cozy and close to the festival grounds.
[ctt template=”8″ link=”r8438″ via=”no” ]Join us on a mouthwatering journey through five must-visit apple butter festivals in the USA! (Because honestly who has time to stir their own cauldrons of apple butter these days?!) [/ctt]
Apple Butter Festival, Indiana
As a native Hoosier, this one is close to my heart. Spencer, Indiana’s Apple Butter Festival is an annual apple butter festival, held every third week of September since 1929! This one is all about hayrides, outdoor games, and endless tasting booths. Be sure to grab a raffle ticket for the apple butter quilt! It is always beautiful, and it’s the best souvenir that guests can take home.
The event begins with the nostalgic, not-fussy hometown parade (think a white-haired man in his polished 1995 Mustang convertible shepherding a crowned 16-year-old wearing an Apple Butter Princess sash). Do bring a lawn chair and a baggie, so the the kids can collect treats. It won’t be hard to find a shady spot under the tree-lined streets in Spencer.
Because this festival takes place in Southern Indiana, there is, of course, a basketball fun zone. There is also a Little Trike race, similar to Bloomington’s famous Little 500, but for the tinier bicyclists.
The featured event of this festival is the Apple Butter Contest. Entries are accepted in the form of pure apple butter, cake, pie, cookies, and bread. All entries must include apple butter in the list of ingredients. Cash prizes are given to winners on the final day of the festival.
This is the taste of fall. ©Unsplash
Where To Stay Near Indiana’s Apple Butter Festival
To fully enjoy the festival and this beautiful part of Indiana, we recommend staying at Canyon Inn, a beautiful historic hotel in the middle of Indiana’s oldest state park, McCormick’s Creek. The hotel has 76 guest rooms with views of either the forest or the manicured front lawn. Amenities include a lounge area with a huge fireplace and an outdoor pool.
Berkeley Springs Apple Butter Festival, West Virginia
The Berkeley Springs Apple Butter Festival in West Virginia is a charming event that draws visitors from all over the US. We enjoy “backseat judging” various contests, like the hog-calling contest. As much fun as we had judging it, we did leave with one lingering question. Even though a winner was crowned, no hogs showed up. So, was he really a winner?
Luckily, the gentlemen’s beard contest caught our attention, and we were able to ditch the perplexities of hog-calling for the awe-inspiring facial hair sprouting from these locals’ chins. How do you find these hilarious events? Follow the sound of people laughing.
You are looking at a grand champion. Of the beard contest. At the apple festival. ©Unsplash
What did either event have to do with apple butter? We aren’t sure, but we do know this for sure, they were way more fun than we would’ve thought.
Live bluegrass and a hopping beer garden kept my feet tip-tappity-tapping through the streets of downtown Berkeley Springs as we tasted apple butter after apple butter. Glad that we didn’t have to judge the baking contest, we left town with blistered feet and several jars of homemade apple butter.
On Google, attendees rave about the small-town charm and range of activities.
DON’T MISS! Why Door County, MI Is The Perfect Romantic Escape
Where To Stay By Berkeley Springs Apple Butter Festival
Families are going to want a good night’s sleep after this exciting event, so we recommend staying at the White Pines Estate. This southern-style mansion has a wrap-around porch that overlooks 65 acres of mountain views. Guests will love taking an easy morning hike along Sleepy Creek, located on White Pines Estate property.
We recommend visiting a nearby apple orchard before or after the festival. ©Unsplash
Apple Butter Festival, Missouri
Missouri’s Apple Butter Festival is hosted by the city of Kimmswick every October. It is the city’s largest annual event, attracting more than 100,000 visitors. (Do note that vehicle traffic is not allowed on the downtown streets during the festival. But there is a parking area, along with limited parking along Highway K, and shuttle buses!) Between 500 and 600 food and craft stalls line the streets, keeping the massive crowd entertained.
The most special part of this Apple Butter Festival, Kimmswick, is the work that the Kimmswick Historical Society pours into preserving its history.
Every morning of the festival, when the sun is only just thinking about waking up, members of the historical society light fires under giant copper cauldrons. Throughout the day at these cauldrons, historical demonstrations show visitors traditional apple butter-making methods. Meeting the historians and the apple orchardists provides insight into the hard work behind every jar of apple butter. They will also infuse the entire city with that sweet cinamonny scent. The smell of apple butter cooking is just irresistible.
For the little ones, there is a kiddie train and pony rides.
In this post-pandemic world, each bobber gets their own cauldron. ©Unsplash
Where To Stay By Missouri’s Apple Butter Festival
We recommend staying in The Greenhouse Inn, which was once a working greenhouse but is now a sweet little cottage-style inn right in the middle of all the festival fun! The Inn only has room for four guests, so be sure to book early!
Apple butter festivals are more than just events; they are the perfect excuse to play photographer – to capture the cheery memories of your family festival experience. Take all the photos (until your family refuses to keep posing), try new things (hog calling?), and savor every sweet moment. These all-American apple butter festivals remind us of the beauty of slowing down and enjoying the simple pleasures.
Bubble, bubble! Apple butter! ©Unsplash
FAQs About Apple Butter
What is the difference between apple butter and applesauce?
According to Food Network, “Apple butter is a spreadable preserve made by slow-cooking apples with warming spices such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice.” Apple butter is a more concentrated form of applesauce. It is cooked slowly to reduce the water content and caramelize the sugars, resulting in a thicker, spreadable consistency and deeper flavor.
How long does homemade apple butter last?
When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, homemade apple butter can last up to three weeks. It can last up to a year in the freezer if properly canned and sealed. According to Food Network, “If your apple butter develops an off-putting smell, appearance, or taste, or grows mold, toss it.”
Can I freeze apple butter?
Yes, apple butter can be frozen. Store it in an airtight container or freezer bag, and it will last up to a year in the freezer.
What are some common uses for apple butter?
Apple butter is versatile and can be used as a spread on toast, bagels, and pancakes. It’s also a great ingredient for baking, can be used as a glaze for meats, or added to oatmeal and yogurt for extra flavor.
There are plenty of tasty apple butter recipes online. Check out the easy Homemade Apple Butter recipe we like from the Brown Eyed Baker. As we found out at these festivals, it can even be added to a cocktail to make the perfect Old Fashioned! Check out So Fab Food yummy recipe.
IF YOU ENJOYED THIS ARTICLE, PLEASE CONSIDER PINNING IT OR SHARING IT!
