Washington County Enterprise-Leader
It’s Time For The Arkansas Apple Festival
LINCOLN — The crisp fall air means it’s time for the Arkansas Apple Festival.
The 37th annual event runs Friday through Sunday on the Lincoln square, which will be blocked to vehicle traffic, thus making the festival a pedestrianfriendly event.
The fa i r opens at 9 a. m. Friday with an arts and crafts festival, and closes at 5 p.m. Sunday. The hours between are filled with music (from choir and gospel to county and bluegrass), the alwayspopular parade, a horseshoe tournament, and a contest to find the best apple- core thrower in the region.
For people who bring their appetites with them, the food court boasts an assortment of ways to fill the growling stomach: funnel cakes, apple butter, barbecue, hamburgers, corndogs, kettle corn, cornbread and beans, homemade apple dumplings — and more.
Weekend entertainment includes C&W Express, Rexall Rangers, and Southern Tradition.
LINCOLN — The Apple Festival Pageant was held Sept 22 at the Lincoln School District Auditorium.
The pageant has multiple age divisions from babies through 21 years, including: Tiny Miss Apple Festival, 0-2; Toddler Miss Apple Festival, ages 3-4; Little Miss Apple Festival, ages 5-7; Princess Apple Festival, ages 812; Teen Miss Apple Festival, ages 13-16; and Miss Apple Festival, ages 17-21.
Competition began with the youngest divisions and progressed by age. Winners were crowned after every division had completed competition. The winners for 2012 are:
• Auraya Smith, Tiny Miss Apple Harvest
• Jazlyn Grizzle, Toddler Miss Apple Harvest
• Brynn Cordeiro, Little Miss Apple Harvest
• Falyn Cordeiro, Princess Apple Harvest
• Asher Jordon Claborn, Teen Miss Apple Harvest
• Haley House, Miss Apple Harvest.
Contestants came dressed and ready to model and were required to be a bona fide resident of Arkansas. Parents were allowed to go on stage with younger children. No rehearsal was provided, but contestants were allowed to come early to practice.
Audience members voted for their favorite contestant in each age division by paying $1 for the privilege. According to the Apple Festival website, participation in Fan Favorite voting did not impact any other phase of competition. The contestant with the largest amount of votes in their age division received an award.
Additional rules applied for the 2012 Miss and Teen pageant. Contestants had to be female, cannot have been married or have had children, must have always been female, and have not had any criminal record.
Dressing rooms were provided for the Teen and Miss Contestants, who competed in evening gown and on- stage questions. Contestants came out and drew the question each had to answer, then modeled their evening gowns.
As newly crowned queenq, House and Claborn each will serve as festival ambassadors during the festival weekend and will ride in a car during the parade. Cash scholarships were awarded to the Miss contestants, 17-21 category.