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Greetings from Susan Snowden

Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival President:

COVID-19 has affected many people in such a multitude of different ways. The biggest impact that you will see this week is the absence of in-person events for the Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival, Inc. Personally, for 41 years, I have looked forward to the third full weekend in October and the Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival. It is an opportunity to celebrate the beauty of the eastern panhandle, to celebrate our rich agricultural heritage.

This year, the Board of Directors of this all volunteer organization, met virtually and decided early-on during this Pandemic that we could neither afford the personal risk to the community and its participants, nor the financial risk to our organization if we were to plan and pay deposits for events that we could never fulfill. As a Festival we find ourselves in “the year that was”. Our planning for our 41st year had to be altered, but our festival will go forward. This year we have a Virtual Bob Baronner 5K Apple Trample in conjunction with the Wellness Center at Berkeley Medical Center and BCT- Bank of Charles Town. We will also be broadcasting the 40th Anniversary Parade on TV10.

Although we are not able to host those events that you and your family have come to hold near and dear to your hearts, rest assured that our 42nd MSAHF is in the planning stages. Many thanks to McKayla Dodson, our reigning Queen Pomona, for continuing her reign and spreading the news of the beauty of our portion of the State, and spreading the message of our agricultural history. Special thanks to Bank of Charles Town for agreeing to extend and remain as our presenting sponsor.

Above all, I want to thank every member of our Board of Directors. It was an extremely difficult decision to alter the 41st Festival to not have in person events and not ask the community for any financial support. Special Thanks to the Division of Culture and History for their financial support and to the Governor for a discretionary grant. We are so grateful to find ourselves fiscally sound to continue our festivities next year.

Please mark your calendar now for next year's Festival, beginning on October 14, 2021. Invite your family and friends to mark their calendars for next year and make plans now to celebrate later. What can you do for 2020? The Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival would ask that you remember there is no place like home... plan now to spend time with family and friends this weekend, visit an orchard, buy apples and other products from farmer markets, and raise a cup of cider to the harvest of apples in 2020.

Queen Pomona XL

McKayla Ann Dodson

Special thanks to Queen Pomona McKayla Dodson who will continue to reign until a new queen and her court are chosen in 2021.

The Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival, in its 41st year, celebrates the apple industry, which is a valued part of the heritage of the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. Held every third weekend in October,

it has become a treasured homecoming with festivities spanning over four days. However, this year due to the national pandemic, we will not be having any in-person events.

We are excited for the

"Virtual"Bob Baronner 5k

Apple Trample! Learn more at