Reflecting on Applefest 39

With Applefest 39 in the books, it's time for the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce director Jodi Baker-Lewis to take a breath. For a busy person in charge of the area's largest festival that means not going to the office, but still answering her cell phone for reporters asking how it went this year.

​"It was everything we planned for and more," she said. "Every year we (Applefest CORE committee) hold our breath, and on Sunday around 4:30 p.m. we collectively let it out as we smile and begin the cleanup process, which includes smiles, stories, laughter, and lots of remember-this-for-next-year (comments).

​And, yes, that means even before the festival is all cleaned up they are already planning for next year, which will mark the 40th year they have put on  Applefest.

The three-day festival includes arts and crafts, food vendors, musical entertainment, historical tours, and a kids' zone. Each day of the festival has a bit of its own identity. And though many of the things each year are similar, the CORE committee is always looking for new things for the roughly 30,000 people attending each day to do.

​"Friday was a little slow, but the real shoppers came out on Friday," Baker-Lewis said. "Sunday's attendance more than made up for Friday's."

Though Friday started wet, most of the day was damp, but not rainy. 
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​The CORE committee offered authors a chance to get wide exposure on Saturday as one of the unique aspects of this year's festival. 

John Guilinger of Oil City was named the big winner of the apple pie baking contest. 

​The farmer's market on Saturday was packed and several vendors were hopping, including Renee Snyder, who said it was really busy as she loaded honeycrisps into a bag for a customer.

The Franklin YMCA hosted its annual Race for Any Pace with more than 350 participants. The top male finisher was Caleb Prettyman, 16, of Franklin in a time of 16:36. The top female runner was Hannah Gildersleeve, 37, of Grove City in 20:01. Carrie Kolesar, 47, of Cranberry, finished first in the walking division. The complete race results are available on The Runner's High website.

Baker-Lewis said this year's car show was one of the largest in festival history with nearly 500 cars registered. They lined up all the way from 13th Street around the corner ending at 11th street with cars also parked up and down 12th Street.

Sunday also included the success of having a performance by a country music band that drew even more people to Bandstand Park was done through a collaboration with the Franklin Fine Arts Council. South 62 was supposed to play in Franklin earlier this year as part of the Thursday Night Concert Series but the performance was canceled due to weather concerns.

"South 62 has a big following locally and in the surrounding areas," Lewis said. 

But South 62 wasn't the only music drawing folks ears to the park and Liberty Street.
"We are fortunate to have such talent locally," Baker-Lewis said of all the entertainment on this year's schedule. The Max Schang Trio, Charlie Barath, HOLeY Jeans, FHS Madrigals, Joe Liotta and Friends, The Route 8 Band, Franklin Silver Cornet Band, Mostly Brass, Fusion Dance Center, Franklin YMCA Magic AllStar Cheerleaders, Brandon Rae Band, Tyler Carson, Ruby and the Franklin High School Marching Band, all drew a sizable audiences. 

The "busy crowd" meant good sales for many of the vendors, including the chamber itself, Baker-Lewis said. By early Sunday afternoon, they had sold out of 2,400 apple dumplings, as well as all their apple dapple cake and pie, Baker-Lewis said. "Selling out is a great thing, we wish we didn't sell out so early for sure. (But in years past) we delivered boxes of dumplings to anyone we could think of Sunday evening," she said.

It was a successful year that has the CORE committee already looking ahead to doing it again on Oct. 6, 7 and 8, 2023. Though Baker-Lewis won't reveal any big hopes or plans just yet, she says ideas are being tossed around, but nothing definite just yet.

"We cannot wait to bring you Applefest 40 - The Best Three Days," Baker-Lewis said. ​​​​​