The event will feature fun for the whole family.
Medford’s Apple Festival will return for its 39th year on Saturday, Oct. 14. The event, which is put on by the Medford Historical Society and offers free admission, will feature a variety of craft booths, apple-themed foods and activities for children. It will be held at 275 Church Road in Medford from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“It’s one of the major events in Medford,” said David Vaughn, one of the event’s co-chairs.
According to Vaughn, one of the biggest food draws for the event is the apple cider doughnuts, which amass very lengthy lines.
“A lot of people start baking at 3 a.m.,” said Kelly Maguire, another one of the event’s co-chairs.
Vaughn adds the number of crafters goes up each year. This year, he said, the number of crafters has gone up 15 percent.
“We have pet crafters, crafters that are geared toward children, dolls, doll clothing,” Vaughn said. “A percentage of our crafters are for men.”
Maguire and Vaughn said that leatherwork, wallets and custom-made pens are some of the more popular crafts for men.
Vaughn said about 90 percent of the crafters are from New Jersey, while the rest come from Pennsylvania and Delaware.
For the kids, there will be moon bounces, a tie-dye station and booths where dolls will be available for purchase.
Dogs are welcome in the park provided.
Because parking has proven difficult in previous years, the Historical Society has arranged for a shuttle bus to go back and forth from Fellowship Alliance Church to the festival.
Proceeds from the event will go toward preserving the Kirby’s Mill Complex, which can be very costly.
Maguire explained the water wheel has to be repainted every five years because it’s exposed to weather.
“We recently added electric and lighting so they can actually see the gears and the wheels in motion,” she added.
The Historical Society also maintains a number of other historical buildings such as Dr. James Still’s office and Cross Keys School, an elementary school built circa 1857.
Memberships to the Medford Historical Society are $12 per person per year, $20 per family per year and $125 for a lifetime. For more information, visit www.medfordhistory.org.
