It’s ‘Apple Festival’ time!

The 38th annual Apple Festival of the Newark Valley Historical Society returns with a grand edition of their fall feature. This year’s Festival, running both Saturday, Oct. 6 and Sunday, Oct. 7, will feature 13 musical groups playing on two stages on the grounds of the early 1800s Bement-Billings Farmstead. Enjoy old-time string and Irish music, folk and fiddle tunes, bluegrass and more. 

Some of the featured acts include the Brackney String Band, Tom & Marie, Triton Trio, Bug Tussle, Pat Kane and DnT, among others. Find them on Facebook for the full line up of entertainment. 

All of the popular guilds will be demonstrating 19th century skills and crafts. Count on getting a good whiff of the smithy’s smoking forge, while seeing our costumed guides at work. 

Watch members of the Black Powder Guild at target practice with their muzzleloaders, and see the Spinners and Weavers demonstrating their art. 

The Cooking Guild will be cooking on the 200-year-old hearth, while outdoors they’ll be cooking salt potatoes over open fires. 

There are lots of activities for the kids, too, including a “Make-It-Take-It” history area, pumpkin painting, a kids’ craft area, grinding corn into cornmeal and horse and wagon rides.  

Visit the artisans selling their handiwork in locations all over the grounds. Stop by the Bement-Billings House for a tour (included in the price of admission) and stay a while in the Gift Shop.

Expect fine fare at the dinner tables. In addition to their great soup and salt potatoes, they will be serving up their famous beef, pork and turkey barbecues. 

What would an Apple Festival be without apples galore? Try some mouth-watering apple pie, apple crisp, apple butter, apple cider, and candied apples, apples by the bag or by the bushel.  

Be sure to walk across the Sycamore Bridge and stroll through the Nature Trails. The Stoughton Corn Maze is only two miles north of the Apple Festival on Route 38. Visit the Apple Festival and the Corn maze on the same day and save gas while having an exciting, educational, and fun day with the entire family. 

The festival takes place at the Bement-Billings Farmstead, just north of the village of Newark Valley, N.Y., and will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days. Admission is $6.00 for adults, $5.00 for senior citizens, $4.00 students and a family rate of $20.00 per family (two adults and three children). Parking is free.

For more information, call the Newark Valley Historical Society at 642-9516 or visit nvhistory.org.