Apple Festival: All Good

LINCOLN -- Great weather. Great crowds. Great time.

That describes the 40th Annual Arkansas Apple Festival in Lincoln.

Milder temperatures and beautiful blue skies provided a perfect background for the three-day Festival, always held the first weekend in October on Lincoln square.

Saturday afternoon, customers crowded the square shopping and browsing at more than 100 vendor booths and visitors lined up to receive fresh apple slices, free of charge. The festival stayed busy Friday and Sunday as well.

Deborah Sweatt, of Bentonville, came to the Apple Festival in 2014 and enjoyed it so much, she returned this year.

"The people are so nice and the size is just right," Sweatt said. "It's the essence of why I live in Northwest Arkansas."

Sweatt said she specifically came back for fresh apple slices and to purchase apple cider and fresh pork rinds.

"I think it's a wonderful community thing to do on a lovely, fallish day," she added.

Vendors provided unique clothing, jewelry, face painting, candles, scented wax, scarves, kettle corn, fall and Christmas decorations, to name only a few. Food trucks and trailers parked across from the square and served different choices, including Mexican food, Chinese, Cajun and the ever popular hot dogs and funnel cakes.

Lincoln Area Kiwanis Club stayed busy in the community building serving beans and cornbread and apple dumplings.

An apple core throwing contest was held about 12:30 p.m. Saturday and many children, ages 3 to 12, signed up to see who could throw an apple core the farthest. Parents and grandparents lined the street to cheer on all children participating.

In the middle of the square, a stage was set up for country and bluegrass music on Saturday and gospel music on Sunday.

Russ Laycox, Festival coordinator, said he was excited by the weather, the turnout and the participation for the 40th Festival.

"This year has been tremendous," Laycox said. "I think that's the longest parade we've ever had and the weather was fabulous. I don't mind saying that I pray to God every year for good weather. I guess it worked this year."

Saturday is the Festival's biggest day but Laycox said he was impressed by the crowds on Friday and Sunday as well.

"It was just a wonderful festival. Several vendors sold out and that tells you we had a really great crowd," Laycox said.

An annual talent show had 17 contestants, a record number, Laycox said. This year, it was standing-room only for the talent show held at the American Legion building.

Mayor Rob Hulse said Friday was a "huge day," compared to past years. Volunteers peeled 28 bushels of apples to give away as slices. Lincoln Masonic Lodge sold 41 bushels of apples on Friday. Free cups of apple cider were given away and those volunteers also stayed busy, at times running out of cider.

"Everything has come together and we're looking forward to a fabulous Sunday," Hulse said on Saturday afternoon.

He expressed his appreciation to the Apple Festival committee and others who volunteer for the community event.

"An unbelievable amount of work goes on," Hulse said. "I cannot stress enough the work that goes into this to make it happen." The city works with the committee in any capacity needed, he added.

Hulse was in fourth grade for the first Apple Festival, so he said he's been every year.

"It's a time you meet a lot of old friends and make new friends."

Soon, the committee will begin planning the 41st Arkansas Apple Festival. The plan is to build on every Festival to make it better the following year, Laycox said.

"We never think we have the perfect festival but we always have the intention of getting closer and closer to it."