Fans of apple pies, apple fritters or apple cider will be excited to hear that apple season is here again. And in Darlington, ripe ruby red apples means it is time to gear up for the annual Darlington Apple Festival.
For more than 25 years, Darlington has been celebrating the apple harvest with an all-day festival full of hay rides, pie contest and a great selection of live entertainment. This year, the northeast Harford event will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 5 in the town of Darlington.
"If you can get to Darlington, you can't miss it," Festival Committee Chairperson Elaine Calderon said.
The town expects at least 60,000 attendees, who can participate in arts and crafts, pony rides for the kids and a spread of local eats such as chicken wraps and fried cheese curds, crab cakes and cheese and ice cream from Keyes Creamery.
Two local farms - Sweet Aire Farm and Wilson Mill Orchard - provide the apples for the event. Other local farms provide baked goo0ds, herbs and other apple related dishes.
"We do it for the town," Calderon said. "It's created and generated income for our local organizations and many of our local organizations absolutely rely on it for our local budgets."
She said more than 300 local vendors participate in the apple festival annually. While she did not know the exact figure, Calderon said the festival is a huge economy stimulator for Darlington's largely agricultural community.
"If your local economy isn't strong, then how can our national economy be strong," Calderon said. "I personally support my neighbors and they in turn support me, which supports the national economy."
Chris Monaghan and Gospel Travelers have returned to show off their musical stylings. One Eyed Jack, a Cecil County-based rock band, is new to this year's festival.
Participants can also show off their culinary skills by entering the annual pie baking contest. Both plain and crumb pies are welcome and can be dropped off at the Darlington United Methodist Church from 9 to 10 a.m. on the day of the festival.
Alexis Smith, a 16-year-old student at Bel Air High School, will also be recognized during the festival. Alexis' design was selected in the annual apple T-shirt contest.
Don't fret about cash this year, vendors at the festival are equipped with smart phones for credit card transactions. There will also be an ATM machine on-site.
Although the festival is outdoors, it is best to leave your canine friends at home, with the exception of handicapped assistors.
On-site parking is $5 per car fee. The main festival parking lot is off Route 1 across from High's. People with questions about the festival or who are interested in volunteering should contact http://www.darlingtonapplefest.org or 410-457-4189.