Apple Castle's Fall Festival brings out thousands for an autumn day

WILMINGTON TOWNSHIP, Pa.-- Crafts, and food, and live music....oh my! The  Apple Castle launched their 30^th annual Fall Festival and Craft Fair on a crisp October morning this past Saturday. In spite of the frosty air, many cars were parking in the fields of the Apple Castle farm by 9 in the morning ready to make a day of it, and by mid-afternoon the locale was completely packed.

The Johnston family, owners of the farm, put many hours of detailed planning to make this event smooth and pleasant for their customers and community. From the non-stop traffic and parking attendants, to the live music, to the loads of apples, pumpkins, squash, and other produce on sale, to tasty homemade apple cider and doughnuts, the Apple Castle provided a great experience for many itching to enjoy the days of autumn.

And I haven’t even mentioned the rows and rows of tents set up for crafters and their wares. From birdhouses, to recycled scarves, to homemade salsa and kettle corn visitors perused the tents looking for just the right fit for their fancy. The children were not left out in the plans either. The Boy Scouts set up a monkey walk and swing for kids to use. A hay bale mountain, wagon ride, and pumpkin patch were provided by Apple Castle.

Steve Johnston, sixth generation owner of the Apple Castle, said the Fall Festival  was started 30 years ago as a way to express thanks to customers and community for their support and patronage.  Now with so many families in the area removed from agriculture as a business the activities provide a novel “down on the farm” feeling. As Steve put it, “it’s a way for people to have fun without a cell phone or screen in front of them.”