The 9th Annual Homesteads Apple Festival will be held on Saturday, Sept. 22, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and on Sunday, Sept. 23, from 12-4 p.m. on the grounds of the Homesteads Tower Museum located at the junction of highways 68 and 127 S, in Crossville. Enjoy a delightful fall day of activities for all ages. Visit the Tower Museum to learn about the the Homesteads and climb the 97 steps to the top of the Tower for a panoramic view of the area.
Nearly 100 artisans and crafters will be displaying and selling their wares. Each year the number of vendors has increased as word of mouth spreads about the quality of the Apple Festival and the vendors who take part. Music will also be heard live from the pavilion stage both days. Saturday’s music will focus on bluegrass and country music and a variety of other musical styles presented by many of the area’s most talented musicians and singers. A complete listing of entertainers and their performance times will be available on the CHTA website prior to the festival.
From old fashioned apple stack cakes, apple fried pies, apple cider, apple desserts to apples for sale by the peck or by the bushel, there will be apples in abundance. The festival bake sale will offer a variety of both single serving and whole baked items to enjoy on site, or take home to enjoy later. If a picnic is in your plans, enjoy smoked pork barbeque, barbequed chicken, pinto beans and cornbread, or a hot dog or hamburger all of the accompaniments. Kettle corn, Italian ice, and other specialty food items for snacking will be available from vendors.
Again this year, storytellers will be present in the Spinning Yarns tent.near the elementary school. Tales of humor, memoir, history and fantasy are sure to entertain adults and children alike. Yarns will be spun between the hours of 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and from 12-3:30 p.m. on Sunday with an open microphone from 3:30-4 p.m. both days.
From the storytelling tent, it is a short walk into the elementary school to the Quilt Show. Marsha Radke will be on hand to demonstrate how to make a Baltimore Quilt and there will be an array of both contemporary and antique quilts to view. Vote for your favorite quilt, as there is a prize to be won.
Antique tractors, always present at the Apple Festival, will rev up for a trip around the grounds on Saturday at the noon hour. Activities for children include the Kids’ Zone playground, train ride around the grounds, kids’ crafts, face painters.
Admission is $2 for persons over the age of six; children six and younger are admitted free. Admission to the Tower Museum is included in the price of admission. Parking is free with handicap parking available. Please leave all pets at home for the health and safety of all festival attendees. Service animals are welcome.
The proceeds from the Apple Festival support the mission of the Cumberland Homesteads Tower Association to preserve the history and culture of the Homesteads Community through operation of the Tower Museum and the Museum House located on Pigeon Ridge Road and educational outreach programs. For more information about the Apple Festival, visit the CHTA website at www.cumberlandhomesteads.org.