I went to AppleFest and it was the bomb

Crowds of people gathered in Downtown Ithaca. Over 100 vendors lined the streets in a wide array of shops. A sight like this could only mean one thing: it must be AppleFest.
The Ithaca Apple Harvest Festival, more commonly referred to as AppleFest, is a weekend long event dedicated to the peak of the apple harvest season. The festival celebrated its 33rd anniversary in the newly renovated Ithaca Commons.

As a freshman, it was incredible to see students and townies get together to enjoy so many delicious (and sometimes bizarre) apple-flavored treats, such as candy apples, apple pizza and apple kettle corn.

I arrived, browsed the countless food vendors, overdosed on apple cider doughnuts, played some carnival games, enjoyed live music performances, drank some hard apple cider, yakked my brains out (from the overeating, not the cider, I swear) and had some more apple cider doughnuts. Overall, it was a sick time.

Even my boy, Jimmy, who is deathly allergic to apples, managed to have some AppleFest fun (@3rdstringsaight)

Juniors Kimmi Schonhorst and Gerrard Boucaud enjoying the festival

Of her many AppleFest memories, Junior Biological Engineering major, Kimmi Schonhorst, says her favorite is “basking in the late summer sun as my friends and I strolled through the commons tasting maple and apple flavored everything.”

Senior Daniela Leuthold getting some bonding time in with her mom in the Commons

“We all came down here pretty hungry for apples,” said Senior Economics major, Luke Guerrero. This is Luke’s second time at the festival and he’s excited to finally be back. “I took a year off from AppleFest my Junior year. The first year was just too much.”

Zinzan Fern, a Senior Art History major who swears thats his real name, accompanied Luke to finally experience AppleFest before he graduated. “I was worried that the choices would be overwhelming,” he said of his anticipation of the event. “So far, we’re all satiated.”

Seniors Luke Guerrero (center), Zinzan Fern (right) and their pal (left) enjoying the festivities.

After a short time at AppleFest, it becomes pretty obvious why people are attracted to it every year. With all the music, games and food the festival has to offer, what’s not to love?

“I like the atmosphere, and I’m a sucker for apples” said Luke on why he came back this year. He believes that having all these local businesses come together to provide an exciting weekend for the people of Ithaca “truly reinforces a sense of pride for the community.”