By: Shane Bagot
The Medford Historical Society purchased Kirby’s Mill in 1969 and spent the following years working to preserve and restore the historic complex. By 1979, the Society had found another way to support its preservation efforts: the Apple Festival.
The need to support the historic complex helped lead to what became the Society’s annual Apple Festival. According to Pflug, Coles Roberts, who operated a nearby apple orchard, helped supply apples for the early festival. The event’s roots included an apple-eating contest, apple butter, and cider-making stations.
The Apple Festival is back for its 47th Annual event, held Saturday, Oct. 10. It will take place at Kirby’s Mill in Medford from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Medford Historical Society, the host of this long-running event, is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and spreading the history of its community. The Society works to preserve the historic places that tell Medford’s story.
The event has grown immensely over the years. What once was a place where a few folks would bring a few dishes for attendees to sample has now become an established festival that draws about 10,000 people, according to Medford Historical Society President Bill Pflug. The festival features more than 120 handmade crafters selected through a juried application process.
The Apple Festival has its crafters selling knit goods, paintings, and woodwork. In addition to the crafters, attendees can also find just about anything apple, from cider to butter, donuts, and ice cream. A live band plays while attendees enjoy what the festival has to offer.
Pflug said the apple cider donuts are a longtime favorite. According to Pflug, the woman who makes them has been doing so for 35 years, using apple cider from her farm, and the line can stretch nearly a quarter-mile.
This has been a long-standing event with a strong fan base that comes out each year, which the Society appreciates. Pflug mentioned that participants come from places like Mount Laurel and Lumberton to buy things you can’t find anywhere else. They have flea markets and car shows, but nothing has the same juice as the Apple Festival.
“You’ve got a 250-year-old mill that’s original that’s operating. You’re not going to find anything like that; it’s not something that you’re usually going to see, and so getting people there is a great time. You know, people get to see each other. I would say it’s more of a community thing than anything else,” said Pflug.
Pflug and the rest of the Society always hope attendees get the most out of the festival. The Society tries to keep up the quality while improving each year.
“Not everyone wants to be a historian. I think that this rings something more to it, and they know they’re supporting a great cause too. It’s not just the fact of showing up and walking around. They know what they’re doing is benefiting the community by having the history, and that’s very important to them,” said Pflug.
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This article was produced as part of Follow South Jersey’s student journalism program, which provides aspiring journalists with practical experience in professional news reporting and writing.
