Taylorsville, NC – Fall is here so it’s time to get ready for the 31st Annual Taylorsville Apple Festival held in downtown Taylorsville in Alexander County, NC.
The board and volunteers have been working hard all year to bring you a day filled with family fun and entertainment on Saturday, October 19th, 2019. The festival hours this year will be 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
The festival will bring to town over 420 booths this year including the Kids Korner rides and vendors, numerous food booths, various craft and novelty vendors as well as some professional home building supply vendors along with many medical and informational booths all on the streets of Taylorsville for your enjoyment at the Apple Festival. If you need or want it, I am sure you can find it at the Apple Festival this year. There will be lots to choose from to dine on at the Food Court. There will be a host of different food vendors ranging from barbequed ribs, barbequed chicken and pulled pork, to steak sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers, turkey legs, egg rolls, chicken wings, Mexican food, Thai food, Latin American food, gourmet apples, blooming onions along with funnel cakes, homemade giant donuts, deep fried oreos, kettle corn, fried apple pies, candy apples, ice cream, cheesecakes, cotton candy, fudge, cupcakes, homemade sweets, smoothies, Hawaiian ice and so much more. Whether you are looking for a hardy meal or have a sweet tooth you can be sure to find it at the Apple Festival this year.
New this year, we have added on the Americana Stage which will bring us up to a total of four entertainment stages. The Americana Stage will be in South Center Street hosting a variety of music including bluegrass, contemporary Christian and gospel along with patriotic music. We have a great line-up on Main Stage this year, located at the new Alex. Co. Courthouse Park. We will be doing something new on The Main Stage…. we will be focusing on “Autism Awareness.” We will be having a special guest MC, Reid Soria, who will also be performing for us twice throughout the day and singing the National Anthem. Reid has a great story of overcoming the odds as he was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3. Reid has channeled his talents and sheer grit into an unprecedented story of hope. Please come out and join in the raffle off of Main Stage to raise monies for the Alexander County Autism Society and make sure to visit their 2 booths for a free balloon.
Throughout the day we will be hosting a variety of music including performances by Chad Triplett and Two Lane Blacktop, Nunya Bizzness, Firebone, and the ACHS Band. We will also host some of our popular home-grown dancers from Taylorsville too. The Gospel stage will bring numerous gospel groups; a local hometown favorite; the Barnes Family as well as numerous groups from out of town including t Cross Anchored, Sounds of Victory, Fortress, Tony Burchette and our special performance by Shellem Cline. Make sure to visit Matt Helms from JOY FM that will be setup at the Gospel Stage, who will be the Host and MC for the day at the Gospel Stage.
The Kids, stage located in the Kids Korner, will have numerous types of dance provided by All That Dance and the Parallel Dance Collaborative. The Ann Freeman School of Dance will be performing as well as Hosting and MC’ing for us all day. The ACHS Band, and the ACHS Cheerleaders will be back again this year by popular demand. We also have many of the pee wee cheerleaders throughout the county that will be here showing us their talents that day as well. The Halloween Costume and Halloween Art Decorating Contest sponsored by Creating on Main will be judged between 2:00 – 2:30pm on the Youth Stage. Make sure to check out the schedules for all four stages on our Facebook page.
Make sure to visit the Kids Korner behind BB&T where you will be able to ride the ponies, play in the petting zoo both brought to you by Whispering Hope Farms and spend some of the day on the rides and attractions furnished this year by Recreational Equipment out of Huntersville, NC.
New this year will be the Amazi’n, Blazi’n, Fire Truck that you can take a ride on around town. We will also have the Carriage Rides back by popular demand from Tuffer Howell and Carolina Carriage Company located down at the Presbyterian Church. Go take a turn at the HUMAN HAMSTER BALLS and the Reverse Bungee that can be found up at the Alex. Co. Courthouse Park. What fun that promises to be!! If you are a student, in any of our Alexander County Schools, make sure to try to find your principal of your school in the crowd so you can win the “FREE Lunch Out with Your Principal Award.” Take time to say hey to our resident fairy Brucie Abella and see if she has brought any new fairy friends with her to this year’s Apple Festival. She will actually be able to be found in the Sugartree Forest this year in the Kids Korner. Also look for the numerous face painters all happening in and around the Kids Korner where there will also be fun activities and games for the kids all throughout the day.
After you have played for a while catch a ride on the Little Blue Choo and have some fun with engineer Rick Walker. Be sure to stop by and visit the Car, Truck and Bike show in the Town Ball Park where registration will begin at 9:00 am with judging starting at 1:30 pm. There will be three trophies to be given per class; Farthest Distance, Club Participation and Best of Show. We will also be having several Grasscars setup in the Kids Korner for everyone to enjoy.
The VFW will also be bringing some Military Vehicles along with a Huey Helicopter for everyone to see. If you are great at making desserts don’t forget to enter our Apple Dessert Contest or if you would like, enter the Apple Peeling Contest. We also have a contest for the kids again this year; the Kids Candy Apple Art contest. Entries will be accepted till noon, when the judging begins at the information booth located outside Walker Insurance. Each entry must consist of one candy apple wrapped in clear plastic wrap. Apples will be judged on appearance, flavor and creativity.
Also allow some time to stop by and get your flu shot early this year at booth 202 where Phil and the Peoples Drug employees will be there to assist you.
Also look for the numerous booths in the Professional area and the booths up beside the courthouse lawn that will be offering sign-ups for lots and lots of “free giveaways,” tickets to buy chances on numerous prizes and register to win a couple of $5,000 home improvement contests or a $150 gas card.
Stop and visit the Shriners in the Professional Area to buy their famous Christmas boxed country ham.
There is so much this year to do there’s just not enough room to list it all. What a fun filled day it promises to be! Make sure to stop by the various apple vendors and get a bag of locally grown apples or some delicious cider to take with you as you leave.
Also new this year, stop by and do some sluicing for gemstones. There will be something for everyone to do, buy and enjoy so please come out and support the Taylorsville Apple Festival Inc. as we try to bring the community a great annual event.
If you are a vendor and would like to participate in the festival, there are only a few booths left so just call the Taylorsville Apple Festival office at (828-632-2999) or stop by our office so you can be sure to have a spot for what seems to be one of our best Apple Festivals’ yet. As always remember that the Taylorsville Apple Festival, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charity and all of our proceeds above operating costs go to the Needy Children’s Benevolence Funds in our 13 Alexander County Schools.
