Sweet aromas of the apple butter cooking permeates the air throughout the streets of Barkley Springs, West Virginia, because the Apple Butter Festival has come into town. The festivities gather folks to celebrate the apple harvest over the Columbus Day weekend in early October. The top draw must be the festival's large food court, numbering dozens of vendors, as well as Beer Garden. But beyond succulent treats pleasing every taste bud, the program features a host of merriments to make memories.
The Apple Butter Parade kicks off the festivities on Saturday morning. Live entertainment is available throughout the celebration. Also, contests are an integral part of the festival. The highlights include the hog calling contest, a beard contest, and a duck race. You can also haggle for some neat trinkets at the arts and crafts booths. And the luckiest festival-goers win the coveted Apple Butter Quilt. More details on this occasion are available on the Berkeley Springs COC's official website in the External Resources.
If you visit Barkeley Springs during the festival weekend, book your stay in advance and have a full town experience. The host town is renowned as one of America's oldest spa towns and listed among the country's 100 best art towns. No wonder it's second name is the Town of Bath. So, take your time to explore its spas, shops, and restaurants. Alternatively, you might want to stay in or just drop by some nearby cities, like Washington, DC, Baltimore, situated within roughly a hundred miles (161 km), or Pittsburgh, which is 150 miles (241 km) away.
