West Virginia Apple Festivals in 2023

Update for 2023:

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 West Virginia in 2023? (just scroll down the page)There is no other listing as complete and current as this list, just updated! All the apple festivals in West 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!

2023 Apple Festivals in West Virginia - Where, When and More to Find an Apple Festival Near You!

West 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

• Apple Butter Festival - early October.
  Phone: 304-782-3565.
  PO Box 293, Salem, WV 26426. Email: martins6@earthlink.net.  More info: Parking, Photos, Schedule, Sam Warner 5 K Race, Shuttle, Visitor Info, Winners. Daily- Bingo, Children's games, Apple Butter making, Petting Zoo, Queen's Coronation, 5k Run, Bicycle Poker Ride, Grand Feature Parade, Celebrity Auction, Fireworks, Antique cars and Truck Show
• Apple Harvest Festival - a weekend in early October
  They have apple butter making, arts and crafts, flea market, music, antique auto show, quilts. Phone: 304-788-2342. The festival is located on U.S. Routes 50/220 in Burlington, WV, and is easily reached by taking U.S. Route 50 west from I-81 or U.S. 220 south from I-68. Open: Festival grounds are open from 10 am until 7 pm both days, with parking and shuttle bus services available nearby. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2005: All Day Old-Fashioned Apple Butter Making, 11 am Fiddle, Banjo, Mandolin - Youth Div., 4 pm Grand Feature Parade. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2005: 10 am Antique Auto, Tractor,
  and Small Engine Show, 11 am Chicken Barbeque, 12 pm Fiddle, Banjo, Mandolin - Adult & Senior Divisions. ABSOLUTELY NO PETS (Service animals permitted).
• Apple Butter Festival - a weekend in October
  304 Fairfax Street, Berkeley Springs, WV 25411. Phone: 304-258-3738.  Email: tbs@intrepid.net. The 30th annual Apple Butter Festival is a traditional fall harvest celebration. It fills the streets and park of the historic town of Berkeley Springs with apple butter made in copper kettles you can stir, more than 200 vendors of food, art, crafts and produce; music from the bandstand, games & contests.
• Autumn Fest - Apple Butter making/ Chair canning/ Pottery/ Live Country Music/ Horse Show/ Walk for Women/ Animal Judging- Livestock/ Livestock Sale/ Food Vendors/ Games/ Baking Contests/ Crafters/ Antique Car Show
  Wetzel County 4-H Campgrounds, New Martinsville, WV. Event dates: mid-October. Directions: 2 miles east of New Martinsville on Route 7. Anyone know more about this one?

• Burlington Old Fashioned Apple Harvest Festival
  Burlington, WV. Free admission to the two-day event with live country, bluegrass, and southern gospel music performed on-stage See Burlington's Famous Apple Butter being made the old-fashioned-way in open-air kettles! Also, a 3-acre flea market;  tents filled with handmade items. Loads of food, such as apple specialties, country ham sandwiches, funnel cakes, and more! Heritage quilts on display, a parade, music, games, pony rides and fun for the whole family!

• Clay County Golden Delicious Festival - mid-September: September 18-21, 2008; September 17-20, 2009; September 16-19, 2010.
  PO Box 416, Clay, WV 25043. Phone: 304-587-4455 (William Dunn). Email: bgdunn@charter.net.  Chili Cook-Off-Sunday September 18th: Best Chili wins $1000.00. Schedule of events. Recognizes Clay county as the birthplace of the Golden Delicious apple. Parades, fireworks, music, archery shoot, chili cook-off, ox roast, baking contests, outdoor drama, ox roast, baking contests, outdoor drama, bike trek, apple butter making, duck race, bingo, amusement rides, quilt show!
• Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival - held on a weekend in mid October
  Martinsburg, WV. One of West Virginia's largest festivals. Email: info@travelwv.com. Activities: Parade, Craft Show, Apple Pie Baking Contest, Baby Appleseed, Apple Trample, Free Live Entertainment, Great Pancake Breakfasts, Car Shows Dancing
  Fireworks Great Family Entertainment, And don't miss the coronation of Queen Pomona XXVI! See the Schedule of Events. For more than 25 years, the Mountain Sate Apple Harvest Festival has celebrated the rich agricultural heritage of this part of West Virginia, highlighting the role of the apple in that tradition.

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.

• We will be adding these as we find them;  Please write me, if you know of any to add!

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!