LINCOLN -- Crowds showed up Friday and Saturday for the 44th Arkansas Apple Festival and Junk weekend in Prairie Grove as fall weather moved into the area for the weekend.
Sunday was a washout for the Apple Festival because of rainy weather but that didn't matter, said Rhonda Hulse, who co-chairs the festival committee.
"The craft vendors and concession vendors said they did so good on Friday and Saturday that Sunday didn't hurt their sales," Hulse said.
As an example, she noted sales of the kettle corn tent. Vendors pay 15 percent of sales to the Apple Festival and Hulse said proceeds from the kettle corn vendor for Friday and Saturday were about the same as what the Festival received over three days in 2018.
The feeling of a small hometown was evident Saturday morning as people lined up for the annual festival parade around Lincoln Square. This year's parade included Lincoln High Marching Band, cheer and dance squads, floats decorated by Lincoln 4-H and Lincoln Head Start, horses and their riders, and lots of tractors, trucks and antique, classic vehicles.
Lincoln police and fire departments were in the parade, along with members of the high school 2019 Homecoming Court.
Afterward, it was standing room only as Lincoln Square was alive with activity. Families and others browsed through the many booths on the square or enjoyed food and the children's area.
Booths on the square sold wares that ranged from clothing, candles and soaps, jewelry, homemade brooms, wreaths, toys, seasonal items, clothing and home decor.
Traditional booths offering fresh apple slices, cider samples and bags of apples continue to be a popular place for festival goers every year.
Hulse said this year's Apple Festival was full with 80 vendors. Normally, the largest crowd shows up right after the parade but this year, she said attendance was steady throughout the day. She estimated between 2,000-3,000 people came through the festival on Friday and Saturday.
Sunday, tents were still up and ready to open at 9 a.m. Vendors stayed during the morning during downpours, but most began packing up around 1 p.m. when there was a break in the bad weather, Hulse said.
Dianna Payne, also a festival committee member, said it seems that more visitors show up every year at the Apple Festival.
"It's been great," Payne said about Saturday's crowd. "Great turnout. Beautiful weather. Awesome."
Hulse said the next step for the festival committee will be to consider some changes for next year. For one, she had to turn away vendors because of space. She said the committee will have to decide whether to expand beyond the square. Electrical needs to be updated. Another idea is to made some changes to the parade to make it run smoother, she said.
She expressed her appreciation to city employees who work over the weekend and those who volunteer at the festival.
"It was another great festival," Hulse said. "I'm glad it's over but we're glad to do it every year."
In Prairie Grove, thousands shopped at more than 100 booths at the Junk Ranch and Junk at the Mill or in local shops in the community.
Ashley Butler of Rogers was enjoying a day with her daughter on Friday. She said she was looking for items to refurbish at the Junk Ranch.
"Prices are good here and I like to refurbish," Butler said. "I also look for ideas and buy Christmas presents."
Ann Perry of Nacogdoches, Texas, had a wagon and her dog, Cooper, at the Junk Ranch. She has her own antique store and said she was "just pickin'." One of her favorite parts of the Junk Ranch, she said, is that it's out in the open and has beautiful scenery.
Steve Hamlett of Sunset, La., was another customer to the Junk Ranch from out of state. He said he likes old windows and "rusty junk." He has a flea market and said he was looking for items to purchase that he could turn around and sell to make a "quick dollar."
General News on 10/09/2019