Celebrate Fall at the Apple Harvest Festival in Pennsylvania

The Apple Harvest Festival is well worth the trip, just for the apples. One year I bought a half bushel of Jonagold apples and not an hour out of the festival I was wishing I'd bought more. Then there is the delicious, dark apple butter, sweetened or not (really, it doesn't need sugar!), apple fritters, apple daiquiris, apple bread, apple sausage, apple pizza...

Do you sense a theme? There are bbq pits and other, more substantial fares than apple confections available, though I'd recommend you save room for scrapple (a Pennsylvania Dutch treat, best say no more) and the ubiquitous funnel cake.

This is a festival that can quickly become a family tradition - even if you don't eat funnel cake.

The Apple Harvest Festival is the perfect place to pick up a hand-sewn quilt or a beautiful knife, as well. The crafts range from the absurd to the sublime, and there is certainly something for everyone. Be on the lookout for shrunken apple heads, carved in whimsical expressions and shellacked to preserve them for all time, and old-time children's toys: Jacob's ladders, Slap Jacks, wooden mechanicals, trains, and blocks.

Don't pass up the bus tour of the apple orchards, either. The countryside is beautiful, tranquil, and well worth the time spent on the road. It really doesn't sound like much, but the crisp air breezing through the school bus windows, the acres and acres of gnarled apple trees, and the changing fall foliage make for a memorable trip.

Six stages guarantee full-time entertainment. Bluegrass, Mountain music, chainsaw carving.

For the kids, check out Kid Country, where children can enjoy bobbing for apples and pie eating contests, along with old fashioned games, magic shows, and the face painting fun. At the Puppet Theatre, set yourself down on bales of hay and laugh out loud at the old-fashioned antics. There is a petting zoo for the animal lovers, and plenty of quaint but still amazing things to ogle - what boy (and girl) doesn't love looking at the old combustion equipment that misfires a piston or two, sending the unwary ducking for cover while the old-timers have a chuckle?

It's a wonderful way to spend the day. Extend your weekend with a trip to nearby Gettysburg, a short ten miles Northwest of the fairgrounds. Beer aficionados might be tempted to stop off at Gettysbrew Pub and Brewery, a family friendly place, with hand crafted sodas and beers on tap. A half-pint of each of their five beers will run you $10.00 - not bad at all.

And don't forget the apples. Buy more than you think you need, and I'll post one of the best apple pie recipes here at AC for you to enjoy the fruits of your adventure.

http://www.appleharvest.com