Residents from the small town of Bloomfield came together last weekend to celebrate the 57th annual Apple Festival, a three-day event filled with food, entertainment, competitions and activities for people of all ages.
The festival, conducted each year the first weekend of October, includes a parade, carnival rides, apple baking contest, wiffle-ball competition, 5K run, car show and performances from local school groups, community band, and community choir.
But for many, the festival is about more than the activities.
Darla Chestnut, Apple Festival secretary, said the event has become a yearly gathering for people who have grown up in and around the Greene County community.
“I think a lot of people look at it as kind of like a homecoming,” Chestnut said.
Bloomfield High School does not have a fall homecoming or football team, Chestnut said. Instead, the Apple Festival has become a time for former residents and alumni to return. Class reunions are also held during festival weekend.
The festival was conducted on the courthouse square before moving to Bloomfield’s town park in 2002 when the courthouse was remodeled.
Chestnut said it began as a fundraising event and that purpose continues. For many local organizations, the festival serves as a place to raise money in a unique way.
Jane Bennett is a member of Tri Kappa, a philanthropic organization that has participated in the festival for at least 30 years. The group sells apple-related food at the festival and uses the money for scholarships and other community support.
Tri Kappa works with a local church to make the dough and a local orchard for apples. Bennett said the festival also gives members a place to build relationships with each other and the community.
“It just gives you a spot to belong, you know, and that social aspect,” Bennett said. “I really enjoy being part of this group, getting to help other folks.”
For Bloomfield resident Bailey Carr, the event is part of her life.
“Apple Festival has just been something that's been going on since I was a kid,” Carr said.
The festival gives residents a chance to see people who have moved away and return for the weekend, Carr said. It also gives children a chance to attend the carnival and other activities.
Performances and competitions are another way residents can be a part of the festivities. Local students, school groups and community musicians perform throughout the weekend, and anyone is welcome to join the baking competition.
Carr says these events are what make living in Bloomfield so appealing to her.
“I think it's a really nice small-town community,” Carr said. “Everybody's really welcoming and friendly and I think it's a great place to live.”
Tables on the festival grounds are mostly operated by residents or local groups.
Troy Borst, senior minister at Cincinnati Christian Church in Bloomfield, said the church has had a booth at the festival for three years. The church gives away free apple pies, church merchandise, face painting and balloon animals.
Borst said the church wanted its booth to be accessible to anyone attending, regardless of financial status.
“Maybe you don't have a lot of money, and you still want to have fun,” Borst said, “so we want everything to be free.”
For younger members of the community, the festival provides opportunities to participate in a different way.
Mia Pate, the Apple Festival Princess, won the People's Choice Award after raising the most money. Mia is a high school student, and said she decided to participate after her mother encouraged her to sign up.
As part of her role, Pate takes pictures, meets people and gives out awards. She said becoming Apple Festival Princess is also a step toward her goal of competing in pageants.
“I want to get in to do stuff that I can meet people and push outside of my comfort zone,” she said. “So this is like the perfect opportunity.”
Bennett said the best way to experience the Apple Festival is to interact with as many people as you can, especially those who make the festival possible.
“Spend some time, wander around, look at all the booths, talk to people, sample your food,” Bennett said. “Enjoy yourself.”
Maya Monsalve is a student reporter with the Indiana Newsroom, a learning lab designed to give Indiana University students practical experience in community journalism and provide news coverage to areas where reliable local news is limited or nonexistent. It is funded by a grant from the Community Foundation of Bloomington & Monroe County and housed at The Media School in Bloomington.
