A tradition that has brought residents of the Tri-State Area together for nearly 50 years will be renewed this weekend.

It’s the 46th Wellsburg Applefest, which will run Friday through Sunday along several blocks of Charles Street and the Wellsburg Town Square.

The festival celebrates the town’s connection with the Golden Grimes 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 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 festival, one that includes many vendors, a pumpkin decorating contest, a pumpkin carving contest, chain saw carving, a car and motorcycle show, a hot dog eating contest, an apple pie contest, bounce houses and miniature train rides. There will be plenty of entertainment all three days of the event, and the Applefest Queen will be crowned.

Plus, on Saturday, vendors 15 and under will have the chance to get hands-on business experience. They’ll be setting up booths on the Wellsburg Town Square and raising money for school, church and other youth-related groups. Adult participation will be limited to helping with the set-up in the morning.

Making the weekend possible is a volunteer committee that includes co-chairs Ernie Jack and Frank Johnson, as well as many local sponsors. 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.