Fall unfurls at Applefest
MARS — Pumpkin spice, harbinger of sweater weather, was flanked by a variety of autumnal treats on Saturday, Oct. 7, as people kept cozy and snacked their way through Applefest in downtown Mars.
Apples were brought in crates by Washington County-based orchards Rivendale Farms, varieties of soup ladled out by St. John Lutheran Church and bars of fudge sold off by vendors to sweeten up the bitter chill.
Jars of homemade apple butter and farm-grown seasonal produce lined vendor tables.
Owen Petronic, 4, held up an apple as he climbed up on wooden crates filled with the fruit near Grand Avenue. His father, Noah Petronic, an orchard manager at Rivendale Farms, discussed types of apples and their differences with customers.
“Our boys just keep saying, ‘Apples, apples,’” Zach Cummings of Ross Township said. “So we brought them to the apple festival.”
Cummings and his wife, Heidi, brought their three children, Zoe, Eli and Alex to the event, where they also stopped by and visited the 1906 red caboose across from the Mars Shortline Railroad.
Saturday marked the family’s first time at Applefest. They said they enjoyed discovering the food trucks and vendors.
Zoe, 9, said her favorite thing about fall was the foliage.
“It just looks really cool because all the trees are like orange and red,” Zoe said.
Gannon, 5, of Allison Park, replied similarly when asked about his favorite fall activity by his grandmother, Kathy Heckle.
“I like jumping in piles of leaves,” Gannon said. He named pumpkin pie as his favorite fall dessert.
Zoe also shared she is looking forward to to carve pumpkins this fall. Her favorite seasonal treats include her mother’s cooked pumpkin seeds and chocolate baked goods. Candied apples are not an option this year because of Zoe’s braces, her father said.
The sweets and family-friendly activities brought David Zhang, of Mars, to Applefest this year with his family. Zhang strolled through downtown vendors with his son, Samuel, 5, who held up a green balloon.
On Saturday, parents around Applefest seemed to be experiencing autumn - and all its related customs - through the eyes of their children.
“We like all the fall foods, like the pumpkin spice lattes, the apple treats, the hot chocolate,” said Lauren Majerick of Ross Township. “I have two little ones. So just, you know, I’m looking forward to doing things with the and letting them see things for the first time. You know, this is exciting for them. For us, the parents, we live (autumn) through them. Things seem new again.”
Mars Applefest was hosted by the Richland and Mars Rotary Clubs. More than 90 vendors and artisans filled downtown on Saturday morning through the afternoon.
