The smell of cider filled the air as crowds brought life to Main Street in Hendersonville during the 79th North Carolina Apple Festival this Labor Day weekend.
The four-day festival shut down Main Street as vendors filled the street with tents and booths to sell their goods. Apple farms throughout Western North Carolina sold fresh apples, including apple pastries and ciders. Other vendors occupied Main Street with handmade goods and crafts, while other vendors sold traditional fair food items. The festival also hosted family fun games, rides, live music, including the annual parade.
The festival brings a rush of tourism to Henderson County that goes beyond selling apples. Local businesses took advantage of the busy street and kept their doors open for business. While some businesses that usually close over the Labor Day weekend, turned their parking lots into paid spaces to meet the demand for space.
Josh English, president of the festival, said over the phone, the organizers were pleased with the turnout.
The festival’s last statistic marked an average of 250,000 visitors, however English said that the data last collected in 2013 is outdated.
“Over these last few years, we have seen the need to update our numbers, and so this off-season we’re going to do a little research and find the right company to partner with so that we can get some more updated statistics and information during next year’s festival,” English said.
