Save the Date!
The 46th
Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival
Oct. 16-19th, 2025
We are busy planning for our 46th festival the third weekend of October this year!
This festival is so important to our community because every apple tree you see tells a story – stories of families who've worked this land for generations, of early morning harvests, of traditions passed down from parent to child. These orchards aren't just where we grow fruit; they're where we've grown our community. This festival honors a way of life that has shaped our region's character.
When you walk through our orchards, pick a fresh apple, or simply drive past these rolling hills, you're experiencing something timeless. You're connecting with the same land that sustained your grandparents, the same soil that fed generations before them. In today's world, where many have lost touch with where their food comes from, our festival serves an even more vital purpose. It reminds us that agriculture isn't some distant concept – it's the very foundation of our community. It's in the morning mist rising over our orchards, in the careful hands of our farmers, and in the proud smiles of our local growers at market.
What truly makes our festival special is how it creates precious moments for families to come together, to start new traditions, and to strengthen bonds that span generations. Every year, we witness countless reunions, see multiple generations sharing laughs over apple dumplings, and watch as parents lift their children up to get a better view of the parade, just as their parents did for them. The beauty of our festival lies in these moments.
Like the apple trees in our orchards, Just as those trees need strong roots to produce fruit, our community needs these moments of connection to stay strong and vital. Every parade, every event, every shared meal becomes another thread in the tapestry of family stories we weave together.
Our festival isn't just about apples – it's about creating moments that bind families together and forge friendships that last a lifetime.
That’s what we have done for 45 years….and what we plan to do for many more years to come.
Last Year's Court
👑 Queen Pomona XLV - Abigail McBee
🍏Maid Brynna Hamlin
🍏 Maid Mattelyn McDaniel
🌹Princess Avalynn DeGraw
🌹Princess Vaylee Olack
🌹Princess Jenna Wilson
🌹Princess Alyssa Patterson
🌹Princess Aniston Waugh
🌹Princess Evelyn McPherson
MINOR COURT
✨Junior Maiden Julia Frankenberry
✨Junior Maiden Josephine Tabb
✨Junior Maiden Alivia Palmer
✨Junior Maiden Ella Physioc
✨Crown Bearer Rylee Rowland
✨Scepter Bearer Taylor Howell
✨Train Bearer Brandon “Bo” Burkhart Jr.
✨Train Bearer Boyd Maston
✨Court Jester Brynn Maston
✨Court Jester William “Liam” Snowden
ABOUT OUR FESTIVAL
The Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival celebrates the apple industry- 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 multiple days.
In the fall of 1979, business and community leaders in the Eastern Panhandle came together with the intention of creating a “signature event” to include all five counties of the broader area, which would become a staple of the Mountain State’s culture.
From this initial idea, the Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival board set about organizing contests, entertainment and craft shows that showcase the apple orchard heritage of the area.
We hope you will make our festival an annual tradition that your family and friends look forward to being apart of for years to come!