MOUNT VERNON, Mo. (KY3) – The entire city of Mount Vernon will be filled with the smell of apples and the sounds of thousands of people coming together the weekend of October 9.
Apple Butter Makin’ Days started as a fundraiser, and that is still the heart of the festival 60 years later. Many of the booths selling apple butter and unique apple-themed treats are local non-profits and churches.
“This town has created an environment that people want to come back to,” said Brittni Bates, the executive director of the Mt. Vernon Area Chamber of Commerce. “It’s kind of that mix of small-town charm but yet quality, thriving entertainment from the live music to the quality of artisans and crafters that are here that you can’t necessarily just find anywhere else.”
There is plenty of fun to be had outside of stuffing yourself full of apple treats.
Craft vendors, live music, parades, and a plethora of contests round out the 3-day festival that brings together people from across the country.
“My favorite part of Apple Butter Makin’ Days is seeing the community come together and unify over this one event,” Bates said. “It’s really tremendous that a town of just under 5,000 people can host a festival of this magnitude which attracts about 100,000 people from across the country every year.”
New this year are a frog jumping contest, baby contest, 60-year quilt auction, and expanded kids zone including camel and pony rides.
“It’s a little bit of mixing nostalgia and tradition with songwriters and Americana,” said Bates, “and shopping and community but also entertainment from live music to our wiener dog races, and we’re introducing new contests. With this being the 60th annual event, it just means something to a lot of people.”
You can see the apple butter making on the courthouse lawn before dawn every day.
Apple Butter Makin’ Days officially starts at 9 a.m. on Friday, October 9.
There’s more fun to be had all weekend long as the festival runs until 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 11.
More information about parking and the event schedule can be found by clicking here.
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Dining and Cooking