Springville Fall Festival to be held October 16

There will still be plenty of apples. And really a lot more.

Even though the annual two-day Springville Apple Festival has been condensed into a one-day Springville Fall Festival, the event is offering features not offered at the Springville Apple Festival in the past. The Fall Festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, October 16 in downtown Springville.

Due to the uncertainty of being able to obtain the necessary permits from Tulare County for the second straight year the Springville Apple Festival won’t be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That festival has annually been held over two days on a Saturday and Sunday and has also included the Springville Apple Festival Run and Fat Tire Classic Mountain Bike Race. For the second straight year those events won’t be held as well.

But this year’s fall festival will feature new events, including a costume contest, a costume contest for pets in which the cutest and ugliest pets will be named, and a pumpkin decorating contest. There will also be games for youth as Springville Community Club president Norma Inabinette said the fall festival will be a family-oriented event.

Inabinette said there are vendors who organizers of the fall festival didn’t think of as far as those who would want to participate who are coming to the event. And of course there will be apples.

“There will be some apples and some apple products,” Inabinette said. She said Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts will be providing caramel apples and there will also be apple fudge and apple burritos. “All kinds of apple stuff,” she said.

When the Springville Apple Festival has been held there has also been an apple baking contest in which participants could bake anything from fritters, cupcakes and of course, pies. There won’t be an apple baking contest this year.

But it’s hoped the apple baking contest, the Springville Apple Festival

and all the activities from the Springville Apple Festival will return next year as it’s planned for the two-day Springville Apple Festival to again be held in 2022.

“We’re hoping to be able to hold the Apple Festival next year if this COVID stuff would behave itself,” Inabinette said.

And next year’s event could be a combined Springville Apple and Fall Festival as some of the events from this year’s festival could be incorporated into next year’s event.

“We might do that if it’s successful enough,” said Inabinette about incorporating this year’s events into next year’s apple festival if they’re well received. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Inabinette said it’s hoped the response for the fall festival will be similar to the Bulls, Broncs and Barrels event held at the Springville Rodeo Grounds in August which had a large turnout. Based on what’s she’s hearing, Inabinette said there’s a good chance of that happening.

“People seem really excited about it,” Inabinette said. “They’re tired of being locked inside their doors and want to get out.”

As far as food there will be the traditional items such as tacos and Inabinette added, “We’ve got a lot of people bringing treats this year,” adding the event will have desserts it’s never had before.

There are also many new craft vendors this year along with craft vendors who have participated in the apple festival in the past, Inabinette said. “I’m hoping it’s going to be a fun day,” she said.

All of the information about the fall festival, including information for vendors, is on the Springville Apple Festival Facebook page.