Apple-icious-est autumn: hand-churned apple butter, apple pie & so much cider
Remember the days of running around barefoot— the cool grass squishing between your toes and the crunch of an apple plucked right off the tree? How about warming up with some cider after a chilly fall evening?
Well, we do too! Relive those glory days at these 5 apple-loving, butter-stirring, cider-drinking events:
1. Sweet treats and sips at the Apple Whiskey Fest
Enjoy everything apple at the October Apple Whiskey Fest and Cook-out! Chow down on some apple fritters and taste some fresh, tart batches apple brandy and apple whiskey.
Even if you don’t like apples, The Flying Squirrel Ranch & Farm has a zipline and BBQ to enjoy as you jam out to some bluegrass (and newgrass!)
2. Golden good times at the Golden Delicious Festival
Did you know the first golden delicious apple was discovered in Clay County? Celebrate West Virginia’s state fruit at the Clay County Golden Delicious Festival, featuring good ol’-fashioned bobbing for apples, amusement rides and a baking contest featuring— you guessed it— our state’s prized golden delicious apple. Man’s best friend can even join the fun in the puppy pageant!
3. A taste of the old days at the Apple Butter Festival
For 32 years, the people of Salem have shared their apple butter churning skills with festival-goers. Watch apple butter bubble and brew in copper kettles above wood fires. When the delicious mixture is just right, you can buy some jarred straight out of the pot.
While you wait for it to finish cooking, check out the parade, fireworks, quilt show, talent show and apple pie-baking contest.
4. “The biggest party in Berkeley Springs”
Since 1974, apple lovers from near and far have flooded Berkeley Springs for the annual Apple Butter Festival.
While there’s a variety of fun— from live music to country food to quirky contests like “quickest turtle”— the star of this nostalgic fest is, of course, the apple butter. They brew giant vats of the spicy-sweet concoction right there on the street! By mid-afternoon, it’s simmered to perfection, and you can buy it canned straight out of the kettle.
5. Churn at the Apple Butter Weekend
In September, one of our state’s most storied locations turns into an apple butter oasis. Hitch a ferry boat ride to Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park, where you can watch ooey apple goodness simmer in kettles above an open fire. You can even have a turn stirring if you’re up for the challenge!
While you’re there, take a tour of the Blennerhassett Mansion, a replica of the original 7,000-square-foot Palladian-style mansion built there. In the late 1700s, it was one of the country’s largest estates.
Where are you getting your apple fix this fall?
This post was last updated on March 16, 2022