Virginia Apple Festivals in 2024

Update for 2024:

It looks like most festivals are returning, aside from those that were killed off by the lockdowns of the past 2 years. That took a heavy toll on their finances. I am checking with them day by day, if you have an update for an, please tell me via the Feedback form.

Looking for a apple festival in Virginia in 2024? (just scroll down the page)There is no other listing as complete and current as this list, just updated! All the apple festivals in Virginia we can find are listed on this page! If you love strawberries, look for a festival near you below! And I'm always looking for more apple festivals! Please write me, if you know of any to add!  I update the dates as soon as the festivals publish their information, but you can always click on the links (usually the name of the festival) to see the current information on the festival's own website. 

Always click on the links to the festival to confirm this year's dates; weather and other conditions could cause a change at the last minute. They may change or cancel at the last minute. . If they don't have a website, call the phone number provided, but ALWAYS CONFIRM THIS YEAR'S DATES AND TIMES BY EITHER VIEWING THEIR WEBSITE OR CALLING.

Click here for the form to add a festival and have detailed information; or click here if you have general information and are not connected with the event!

2024 Apple Festivals in Virginia - Where, When and More to Find an Apple Festival Near You!

Virginia

Apples typically ripen from July (yes, some early varieties start then, especially in southern areas) through early November.  Most apple varieties ripen in Spetember and October and this is when most apple festivals are held.  Unlike strawberries, which grow almost anywhere, apples are grown commercially in half as many states. They do not grow well in very warm climates, like Florida, and along the Gulf coast, etc. Apples require a certain number of hours of cold (below 40 F) in order to produce fruit. So most commercial apple production and apple festivals are north of Interstate 20 (I-20).

There are two general types of apple festivals 1) community festivals, usually organized by a church, school, local Chamber of commerce or a town and 2). Apple festival held at and by a farm. They are different in what they offer, and community festivals tend to be less expensive so they are grouped separately. (of course not all states and areas have both.)
Following the festival listings are links to our easy to follow directions about making apple jam, freezing apples, apple pies and much more.

Community Apple Festivals

• Amherst Apple Harvest Festival - Saturday, October 16th 9-5; Sunday, October 17th 12-5
  Amherst County High School, 139 Lancer Lane Amherst, VA 24521. Apples & Cider, Crafts & Craft Demonstration. Come out and get some sweet, fresh picked apples and some homemade apple cider! The Amherst Harvest Festival offers a host of fun activities for children of all ages. Come out for face painting, cotton candy, crafting, and more!  Plus Vendors & Displays, Festival Food. Enjoy a variety of fresh cooked, affordable festival food and beverages. Take a break from the grand commotion and enjoy a delicious hot dog with a cold drink. Or maybe even a slice of pie and some cider!  Entertainment What goes well with festival food and a sweet glass of apple cider? A great show of course! Come watch our talented singers and dancers perform! This year all performances will be in the auditorium!
• Apple Dumpling Festival - October 16, 2021 10 am to 4 pm
  Downtown Stuart, VA.
• Boones Mill Apple Festival - September 18, 2021 from 9 Am to 3 Pm , September, call for this year's dates.
  Boones Mill, VA. Phone: 540-334-5975.  Email: bmapplefestival@gmail.com.
• Carter Mountain Apple Festival, - Event dates: In October, call for this year's dates.
  Charlottesville, VA. Phone: 804-977-1833. 
• Chilhowie Community Apple Festival, - September 24-26 - Crafts, Exhibits, Vendors, Band Competition, Pet Show; always in September, call for this year's dates.
  Chilhowie, VA. Phone: 540-646-8213. Home, History, Contacts, Beauty Pageant, Pet Show, Parade, Exhibits, Sponsors, Vendors, Tractor Show, Band Competition, Map of Event Locations, 2019 Brochure, Cruise-In on Main, Win an Apple iPad, Apple Orchard Tours. The 5K and Beauty Pageant are held on September 18, 2021.
• Graves Mountain Apple Harvest Festival - 2 weekends in October (October 3, 2021), 10 AM to 4:30 PM Daily, Rain or Shine.
  Graves' Mountain Lodge Inc., Route 670, Syria, Virginia 22743. Phone: 540-923-4231.  Fax 540-923-4312. Over 65 Arts & Craft vendors, as well as Graves Mountain Food, Hay Mountain.  Free Admission / Free Parking. Come and see nature's way of blanketing the mountains with stunning color during the month of October. Enjoy fun filled days complete with good food and entertainment including bluegrass music, cloggers, arts and crafts, hayrides and horseback rides. Experience the days of yesteryear watching apple butter and Brunswick stew being cooked in kettles over and open fire. Our orchards are open for apple picking or you may select your own from the apple bins at the picnic pavilion. Visit the farm and the animals.
• Leed's Annual Apple Fest -
  Markham, VA. Sponsored by Stribling Orchard, providing the site of the Annual Leeds Apple Fest. Hot dogs and ice cream, see apple butter being made in a huge copper kettle, live music, face painting, pony rides, wagon rides, craft shopping, and civil war living history displays.
• Lexington Wade's Mill Annual Apple Butter Festival - 25th Annual Apple Butter Festival, 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, October 16, 2021 from 10 AM to 4 PM
  Wade's Mill, 55 Kennedy-Wades Mill Loop, Raphine, VA 24472. Phone: (540) 348-1400.  We will be making apple butter the old-fashioned way, slow simmered in a 130+ year old copper pot over an open fire. Take a turn stirring with the long-handled wooden paddle and take home a fresh jar. Explore Wade's Mill's three floors of historic milling equipment and museum displays to learn about the history and tradition of grist milling in the Shenandoah Valley. Our 100% natural, stone-ground flours, grits, cornmeals and mixes will be available in the Mill Shop. Enjoy demonstrations and handmade crafts by local artisans including blacksmithing, broom making, alpaca wool products, pottery, stained glass, lavender products, rocks and gems, jewelry, wood turning and more. There will be Music, Fresh Wade's Mill bread baked in our outdoor oven, Demonstrations by local artisans and crafts people, Rocks Money Pit award winning BBQ, The Raphine Volunteer Fire Company's famous BBQ chicken, Authentic chuck wagon fruit cobblers cooked in a Dutch oven over an open fire, Wine from Rockbridge Vineyard, Cider from Halycon Days Cider Company, Local food products including apples, chestnuts, fresh bread and natural pet treats. Free admission and parking. Directions:  Interstate 81/64 Exit 205. 4 miles west on Raphine Road/Route 606.
• Loudon Heritage Farm Museum Autumn Apple Festival - Saturday, September 25, 2021 from 11 AM to 5 PM
  Loudon Heritage Farm Museum, 21668 Heritage Farm Lane Sterling, VA 20164. Phone: (571) 258-3800. Pre-registration is required. $10/person (includes 2 tickets) 2 and Under Free. Enjoy apple artifact demonstrations, music, children's activities, moonbounce, apple tasting, face painting, and more!
• Silver Creek Farm Flippin Seaman's Apple-Butter-Making Festival -  October 2, 2021 and October16, 2021, 2021; In October, call or see their website for this year's dates
  Silvercreek Farms (formerly called Flippen-Seaman Orchard), 5529 Crabtree Falls Hwy, Tyro, VA 22976. Phone: 804-277-5824. We Press Our Own Apple Cider*. For over 30 years, Silver Creek & Seamans' Orchards (SCSO) has been having their Apple Butter Makin' Festivals the first and third Saturdays in October. You will find both the Flippin and the Seaman family members working throughout the day. We make our apple butter the old-fashioned way in large copper kettles. The apple butter is constantly being stirred while it cooks. Carter Parr and Brian Lawhorne, oversee this process and Doreen Lawhorne is the one who knows the families' secret spice recipe. During the festival, we have many things for your family to do (see list below). We hope you will join our families at our Apple Butter Makin' Festivals and see what we do best…grow apples. Due to food safety regulations:  *No pets allowed, service animals only please.
• Virginia Beach Farmers Market Apple Festival - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2021 AT 10 AM
  3640 Dam Neck Road Virginia Beach, VA 23453. Phone: (757) 385-4388. Email: FarmMrkt@vbgov.com. Join us for a craft show, children's activities, and music. Visit the Rural Heritage Center and educational gardens. Shop the Butterfly Society of Virginia for special pollinators plants. The Virginia Beach Farmers Market is open year-round and features a variety of agriculturally inspired shops and related businesses that offer seasonal, fresh vegetables and fruit in addition to many other products. ​​​​​​​​A butcher shop, seafood market, dairy and ice cream, florist, candy store, bakery, full-menu restaurant, home, garden and specialty stores, offer a unique and varied shopping experience. The Market's farm-to-table produce allows you to experience some of the best the agriculture community has to offer.
  Special events are held throughout the year at the Farmers Market, offering family-friendly experiences that speak to the region's agricultural heritage.
• Winchester Apple Festival Shenandoah Valley Apple Harvest Festival  - Saturday, September 18, 2021 from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday, September 19, 2021
  Frederick County Fairgrounds, 250 Fairground Rd, Clear Brook, VA. . The festival has always been family (and pet) friendly. BRING YOUR OWN CHAIR OR BLANKET (please, no ice chests). Gate admission includes Free Inflatables, Live Music, Apple Pie Eating Contest, Apple Pie Judging Contest, Artisans and Vendors, Canine Challenge Course, Samples, and Classic Car and Hot Rod Show! CRAFTSMEN & VENDORS…Local and Regional Artisans and Vendors throughout the grounds and two (2) open-air buildings .KIDZONE AREA with INFLATABLES, PONY RIDES and FACE PAINTING…always popular, always fun! An area just for the kids with a Giant Slide and Obstacle Course. Nearby handwashing station for use before and after play. TAP & CORK (HARD CIDERS & CRAFT BEERS)…Must be 21 and over with ID required. Live entertainment nearby makes this a can't miss attraction! APPLE PIE EATING CONTEST HOSTED BY WHITE HOUSE/NATIONAL FRUIT…What would an apple harvest festival be without the popular apple pie eating contest? Center stage, Sunday at 3pm! APPLE PIE BAKING/JUDGING CONTEST...Saturday at Noon. Anyone can enter! 1st prize is $100, 2nd prize $50. LIVE ENTERTAINMENT… Continuous entertainment featuring Mojo Mothership, Rob Talton, Jimmy Lee, Wayne Lee Ray Band, and others TBA...all family friendly. FOOD CONCESSIONS… Plenty of EVERYTHING APPLE...Apple Pie, Apple Dumplings, Ice Cream, BBQ, Crab Cakes, Turkey Legs, Burgers, Ice Cream, Kettle Corn, Lemonade and all your festival favorites!  ADMISSION IS DISCOUNTED WITH $1.00 OFF COUPONS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY… Will flood the area HANDY MART stores with $1.00 off admission coupons! Admission includes all activities except adult beverages and Pony Rides. General admission is only $10! Age 10 and under are FREE!

Farm Apple Festivals

In addition to community and church festivals, some private farms have their own apple festivals.  See each farm for this year's dates (they often do not announce them until the end of May). They usually have PYO apples then, too.  Also, scroll down to see the links to recipes, freezing, canning and jam making directions at the bottom of the page.

• A J. Gross and Sons - Apple Harvest Festival  on the 3rd Saturday in October,
  6817 Wheats Valley Road, Bedford, VA 24523. Phone: 1 540 586 2436. Alternate Phone: 540-874-4749. Email: gross.orchards@gmail.com. Open: Monday through Saturday 8 am to 6 pm. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Directions: from downtown Bedford take route 43 north right on jopling road left on Wheats Valley Road Orchards will be on left. Click here for a map and directions. mid June thru mid September peaches are available; apples available mid August thru November first for pick your own and harvested apples are available year-round. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. . The apple festival is the 3rd Saturday in October. Apple valley 5-k on the 1st. Saturday in November. Apple blossom festival is the 2nd.Saturday in April. Peach festival on the 4th Saturday in July. Gross' Orchard is a family owned and operated orchard which has been in business since before the turn of the century. Our specialties are mountain grown peaches and apples. Fall apples -- beginning September 1st. You also have the privilege to participate in our pick your own program. Peaches June 15 - September 10. Also Produce, Summer Apples June 15 - August 31, Fall Apples Starting September 1, Tours Welcome Year Round - Just Call For An appointment, Jams & Jellies with Sugar and Without; Country Ham and Bacon, Apple Cider. Click here for a link to our Facebook page.  (UPDATED: September 26, 2019)
  Comments from a visitor on September 01, 2009: "Extremely well organized. Very, very friendly. Lots of produce, jellies, jams, etc. Highly recommended."

Related Apple Information: Freezing, Making Jam, Jelly, Canning, Apple Pies, Recipes and More

Also, see our pages on easy illustrated apple directions:

• tips for picking apples at a farm, 
• our guide to apple varieties! Which type of apple is best for sauce? Fresh? Pie?: See our extensive guide to apple varieties and their uses
  

Recipes and Canning directions

• How to make applesauce 
• How to make apple butter
• How to make apple bread (also known as Ellijay apple bread)
• How to make apple crisp
• How to make apple cobbler
• How to make a pumpkin pie from a fresh whole pumpkin! 
• How to make apple jelly
• How to make apple pie filling (canned)
• How to can apples
• How to make applesauce for a single meal (not canning it) with NO special equipment
• Apple crunch - best of all! Moist, low sugar and using oats!
• How to make dried apple slices

 

For other fruit and vegetable festivals, see this page!