Families Pick More than Apples at Chambersburg's Apple Festival
By: Dana Chicklas
Updated: October 21, 2012
CHAMBERSBURG, PA - Churned apple butter is one of many scents that draws the crowds in to this year's Apple Festival in Chambersburg.
"It's great just to have friends and family wandering the streets. It's nice the weather cooperated this year, we've had it in sleet and rain, so this was a nice, pleasant day. It's a wonderful event for our downtown," says Penny Shaul, Chair of the Downtown Business Council in Chambersburg.
It's a tasty tradition that also showcases many Franklin County farms' products, even beyond apples.
"I was focusing on people being able to come and buy their goods for the week. So to buy their coffee, buy their bread, buy their cheese; we have a cheese vendor, he is from Chambersburg," says Julia Lehman, one of the organizers for the North Square Farmer's Market.
The North Square Farmer's Market runs from May until the day of the Apple Festival. Organizers say the farmers enjoy sharing more about their farms with local buyers.
"They like to answer questions about their growing practices, about who they are, and about the things that they have. It's just interactive with the community; they realize this is such a gem to have our farmer's market in our downtown," says Lehman.
This year's festival has a new section for kids to play and build their own scare crows.
"We just ran out of safety pins for our scare crows, so I know those are selling and going well. Everything is free except for the scare crows, which is cool," says Shaul.
The Downtown Business Council says many shops plan their sales around Apple Fest, expecting thousands of people to walk by their stores.
"It's a wonderful event, I think it showcases our downtown. The neatest thing for me, when I'm outside, is all the people who are bumping into each other that know each other, and it's just a cool place to have a fun family day," says Shaul.
The festival is growing every year, and locals say it's the volunteers that make it happen.
"It's great just to have friends and family wandering the streets. It's nice the weather cooperated this year, we've had it in sleet and rain, so this was a nice, pleasant day. It's a wonderful event for our downtown," says Penny Shaul, Chair of the Downtown Business Council in Chambersburg.
It's a tasty tradition that also showcases many Franklin County farms' products, even beyond apples.
"I was focusing on people being able to come and buy their goods for the week. So to buy their coffee, buy their bread, buy their cheese; we have a cheese vendor, he is from Chambersburg," says Julia Lehman, one of the organizers for the North Square Farmer's Market.
The North Square Farmer's Market runs from May until the day of the Apple Festival. Organizers say the farmers enjoy sharing more about their farms with local buyers.
"They like to answer questions about their growing practices, about who they are, and about the things that they have. It's just interactive with the community; they realize this is such a gem to have our farmer's market in our downtown," says Lehman.
This year's festival has a new section for kids to play and build their own scare crows.
"We just ran out of safety pins for our scare crows, so I know those are selling and going well. Everything is free except for the scare crows, which is cool," says Shaul.
The Downtown Business Council says many shops plan their sales around Apple Fest, expecting thousands of people to walk by their stores.
"It's a wonderful event, I think it showcases our downtown. The neatest thing for me, when I'm outside, is all the people who are bumping into each other that know each other, and it's just a cool place to have a fun family day," says Shaul.
The festival is growing every year, and locals say it's the volunteers that make it happen.
