Tehachapi Apple Festival 2024 in California

Tehachapi Apple Festival is an annual family-friendly event celebrating all things fall. Held in the beautiful mountain community of Tehachapi, California, the festival features free games for kids, live music, other surprise events, over 100 craft vendors, and other entertainment. In addition, the event honors local apple growers with activities like an apple drop, an apple pie eating contest, a pie baking contest, as well as great food, beer, and wine. The two-day Tehachapi Apple Festival attracts over 10,000 attendees every October.

Fair Market & Food Court

The main theme of the Tehachapi Apple Festival is “Applie Goodness.” Local apple growers will be selling apples and other local produce on Green Street. The public can indulge in delicious pies, turnovers, apple nachos, and doughnuts. Gourmet toffee and peanut butter, cotton candy, and traditional festival hot dogs and BBQ are also available at the venue. Vendors also offer apparel, candles, jewelry, decor, toys, and so much more.

Entertainment Events

Other highlights include the Vintage Trailer Show, which showcases unique models of trailers, and modern apple bobbing, a fun game for the entire family. The famous apple drop is another attraction of the festival. During this event, participants watch apples drop from the crane. Those whose apple falls the closest to the bullseye can win $1,000 or $500 gift cards. The apple drop takes place on Sunday at 4 pm. If you're a fan of either eating or baking pies, consider taking part in the pie-eating or pie-baking contests. Pie eating contest begins at 12 pm on Saturday, while pie baking contest is set to take place at 12 pm on Sunday.

Child-friendly Activities

The festival hosts a fun Kidzone with carnival games and inflatables. Children's entertainment includes balloon car races, carnival rides and games, a hula hoop contest, face painting, a puppet show, and a petting zoo. Youngsters might also enjoy a street maze and an aerial silk show performed by Aerial Garden. Most of the activities are free, except for inflatables, which require a $10 bracelet for an entire day of fun.

Schedule

The festivities span from 10 am until 10 pm on both days of the festival. The carnival rides will start operating on October 11 and continue until October 13. Bounce houses on Green Street on the Train Depot Museum Lawn are available from 10 am until 5 pm on Saturday and from 10 am until 4 pm on Sunday. The rest of the Kidzone will operate from 10 am until 4 pm on Saturday and from 10 am until 3 pm on Sunday.

Tickets & Admission

Admission to the festival is completely free, but some events might require a fee to participate. Most of the attractions at the children's area is free, but the inflatables require a $10 bracelet.

Location

Tehachapi Apple Festival annually takes place in Downtown Tehachapi on Green Street and Centennial Plaza. The Vintage Trailer Show is set to unfold at the Rodeo Grounds. This gorgeous city in the Tehachapi Mountains is situated approximately 40 miles (64 km) from Bakersfield, 113 miles (182 km) from Los Angeles, and 139 miles (223 km) from Santa Barbara.