Trending
A tradition that has brought residents of the Tri-State Area together for nearly 50 years will be renewed this weekend.
It's the 45th Wellsburg Applefest, which will run Friday through Sunday along Charles Street and the Wellsburg Town Square.
The festival celebrates the town's connection with the Grimes Golden apple, which was discovered in 1832 on a farm owned by Thomas Grimes that was located along Washington Pike. Seeds for the apple, which is related to the Golden Delicious, West Virginia's state fruit, were first planted, legend has it, by Johnny "Appleseed" Chapman.
As a tribute, the late Michael O'Brien, who was co-chair of the event for many years, portrayed Chapman during the festival. O'Brien's costume, along with an Appleseed nutcracker from the Steubenville Nutcracker Village, will be on display at the Brooke County Historical Museum and Cultural Center during the event.
As always, visitors can expect to find all things apple -- from pies and fritters and dumplings, to apple butter and cider.
One of the reasons the event has continued to be a staple of early autumn is the wide variety of activities and entertainment it provides. It's a family friendly event, one that includes many vendors, a pumpkin decorating contest, a pumpkin carving contest, chain saw carving and an apple pie contest. There will be plenty of entertainment all three days of the event, as well as the crowning of the Applefest Queen.
Making the weekend possible is a volunteer committee that includes co-chairs Ernie Jack and Frank Johnson, as well as local sponsors, including Brownlee Lumber, Traubert's Pharmacy and Main Street Bank. Their work ensures that the festival will not only survive, but will continue to thrive.
Wellsburg's Applefest is a great way to spend an early fall afternoon or evening -- we hope you will plan to attend.