Making “Core” Memories at the 80th Annual N.C. Apple Festival
Angel Alvarado | Sept. 8, 2026
Attendees browse stands at the N.C. Apple Festival in Hendersonville, N.C. on Sept. 3, 2022. (Visit Hendersonville/Tim Robinson)
This past Labor Day weekend, the annual North Carolina Apple Festival took place from Sept. 4 to 7 in Hendersonville. The festival highlights the significance of apples within Henderson County and North Carolina (N.C.). For Henderson County, apples are one of its major crops, making it a pivotal part of the county’s culture, economy and legacy.
The event featured entertainment in many forms. Attendees could walk the closed-off street to enjoy the apple grower stands, art and craft vendors and local non-profit booths that were present for all four days of celebration, or head to the live stage to see performances ranging from music to magic to dance. The food court was also a major draw, featuring all the classic fair-like food one could want.
When it comes to delicious snacks and food, one of the most famous treats has to be the apple cider donuts, which were the first of many apple delicacies to sell out. Known for their deep-fried, crunchy, cinnamon-sugar-coated exterior and spongy, cake-like interior, they taste of fresh apple cider mixed with the comforting flavor of seasonal spices, like a crisp fall day. Alongside the famous donut, the apple grower stands feature Appalachian farms and orchards that sell a variety of local apples.
Students from Warren Wilson College (WWC) have expressed their enjoyment of the annual celebration, with some attending every year to kick-start the fall season and all its traditions.
Kylan Gaitonde, a junior, found the festival to be a great way to support local sellers and artists.
“It is a very sweet thing that I have enjoyed bringing into my yearly tradition,” Gaitonde said. “My favorite sellers are the small businesses and artists who sell handmade stuff or good drinks and food. It is really fun to chat with them and hear about their Hendo life.”
Sonny Church, a senior who has been attending the festival for the past few years, shared that his favorite part of the festival is the King Apple Parade.
“It's super cute with all the little floats and the high school band,” Church said. “I think it's really cool. I frequently miss it because I'll just be a little too late. But last year the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile made an unexpected appearance. I loved it.”
The King Apple Parade is the memorable finale of the festival, showcasing professional floats, bands, youth groups, fire trucks, and many more spectacles marching down the main road, sparking laughs and cheers as they go.
Church believes the festival is an event that new students who are not from the area should attend, as it is an enjoyable way they could become familiar with the culture of Hendersonville.
“It's such a great thing to do if you're not local, especially if you're a freshman or just from anywhere other than here and haven't really been around here much; it's so fun to get to know the culture,” Church said.
Gaitonde agreed that it is an event that should be attended by students who wish to have fun and explore the local scene.
“I think it is a very cute, very Southern event to attend,” Gaitonde said. “Hendersonville is a sweet little place to hang out.”
For these next two months of September and October, there will be many more events happening around Asheville and WWC to help students embrace the autumn vibe. The next one will take place in the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center for the 2026 North Carolina Mountain State Fair, which will be held from Sept. 11 through Sept. 20.