Rotary Club AppleFest This Weekend

September 12, 2011

Annual AppleFest This Weekend in Fly Creek Celebrates a Bountiful Harvest

Bushels of fun to be had from new activities for children and adults highlight annual fundraiser for Cooperstown Rotary Club

The Cooperstown Rotary Club AppleFest will be held this weekend, September 17 and 18 at the Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard just minutes from Cooperstown. This popular annual festival attracts apple and fun lovers to celebrate the harvest with live musical performances, antique tractors, fresh apple tasting, children’s games and activities, and freshly pressed cider.

The Festival’s traditional program fun includes scarecrow making, face painting, games and bouncys. This year the Rotary Club has created new activities with an apple baking contest and storytelling. Creative cooks are encouraged to enter the apple baking contest for prize ribbons awarded to the Yummiest, Most Visually “Apple-ing” and Best Use of the Apple. In a storytelling tent children will be entertained and given free books. Visitors building their own scarecrow may enter it in a contest for best of show. Returning is the ever-popular silent auction and raffle of valuable merchandise.

Musical performances, a highlight AppleFest include performances by Mary Doherty, Bourbon & Branch, Banshett, Red, White & Bluegrass, Stoddard Hollow String Band, and the Mountebank Brothers.

Rotary distributes every dollar raised from AppleFest to local charities. Last year more than $18,000 was raised and organizers look to exceed that as today’s need is greater. AppleFest is sponsored by many area businesses who have stepped up donations to make the event a success.

The Festival is on the grounds of the Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard, a water-powered cider mill where visitors can witness old time cider-making with an 1889 Boomer & Boschert press. Now also a New York Farm Winery, the Mill will be offering tastings of newly released Apple Frost Wine having many of the characteristics of traditional ice wine. Another feature of the weekend is a focused tasting of the Apple Salsas plus more than 40 samples of specialty foods, many of which are Pride of New York Products.

AppleFest runs 10:00 until 5:00 on Saturday and noon until 5:00 on Sunday. Admission is $2.00 per person, children under 12 are free. Parking is also free. The Mill, located at 288 Goose Street in Fly Creek, NY is open daily 9:00 until 6:00. For more AppleFest information, music schedule, baking contest entrance form and information on the Mill visit their website at flycreekcidermill.com.

News contacts:

H. William (Bill) Michaels – Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard, 607-547-9692 ext.111

Angie Erway Cooperstown Rotary Club AppleFest Co-Chair, 607-435-6272

For more information and additional images follow this link:

http://www.flycreekcidermill.com/newsDetails.asp?id=201&url=events