32nd VW Apple Festival continues today

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Local residents now know it’s truly fall with the Van Wert County Apple Festival starting today. The annual festival features just about everything apple one can think of, as well as entertainment, children’s activities, a craft show, 5K run, and much more.

Hours for the festival, which is held on the Van Wert County Fairgrounds, are 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. today and 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday. The Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribboncutting ceremony at 11 this morning to officially open the festival.

Of course, with a name like the Apple Festival, it’s safe to assume that apples are a big feature of the event, and those thinking that would be right. The festival offers all kinds of apple-themed food and crafts. In addition to plain old apples from members of the Van Wert County Fruit Growers Association, which sponsors the festival, festival-goers can purchase apple pies, apple dumplings, fresh-made apple cider, and apple butter, just to name the main offerings.

There will also be lots of other food items available, including fresh caramel corn, chili, and sandwiches, from sloppy joes to shredded chicken.

Entertainment is also a big feature of the annual festival, and this year is no exception. Today’s entertainment includes local Southern Gospel singing group Trinity from 5-6 p.m., Mike Semer from 6-7 p.m., and the group Happy Days from 7-8 p.m. Saturday’s entertainment will include dancers from Kim Hohman’s DanceWorks from 10-11 a.m., the Blind Date Band from 11:15 a.m. until 1:15 p.m., and singer and instrumentalist (and ventriloquist?) Gabe Bailey from 2:30-4 p.m.

While young, Indiana resident Bailey showed he is also very talented when he won the 2017 “Ohio Has Talent!” show sponsored by Community Health Professionals, which is held annually at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center.

In addition to the scheduled entertainment, there will also be a petting zoo, a 5K run sponsored by Community Health Professionals that begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, a mile fun run for kids beginning at 10 Saturday morning, various children’s games, wagon tours, and much more.

For those people looking for gifts for Christmas, the Apple Festival also features lots and lots of crafts provided by more than 100 vendors. Crafts include wood decorative items, quilts, ceramics, and all kinds of other items.

In fact, there are so many craft vendors, they need three buildings (Junior Fair Building, Commercial Building, and Administration Building) to house them.

The weather is expected to be cool and cloudy today, although some afternoon rain showers are possible on Saturday.