Since its humble beginnings as a pie baking contest in 1983, Applefest® in downtown Franklin has grown into a three day affair offering non-stop free entertainment, more than 300 arts and crafts and food vendors, and drawing crowds of more than 100,000 visitors to the small town. Although those favorite activities have carried on through the years, the Applefest® organizers strive to keep the festival fresh and exciting, offering new events and changing up the entertainment lineup.

All set in the beautifully preserved Victorian Franklin downtown, Applefest® has proved to be a tremendous fundraiser for the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce, as well as a boon to the downtown retail and restaurant and lodging industries which thrive on the increased foot traffic. Some downtown retailers consider Applefest® a “second Christmas,” as far as sales are concerned, and pull out all the stops to impress the influx of visitors. That attitude spreads as far as Cranberry Mall. Although it is miles away from the festival, the mall offers indoor sidewalk sales and a chance for diehard shoppers to grab up bargains even after the parks are closed.

Applefest®’s reach does not stop with businesses. Spaces in the park are reserved each year specifically for Venango County non-profit agencies to use for fundraisers and to spread the word about what they do.

Applefest® is the result of tremendous community spirit and cooperation. Without the tireless efforts of the Core Committee and the hundreds of volunteers, the cooperation of local businesses and especially the City of Franklin, Applefest® would not be one of the largest festivals in northwest Pennsylvania and the economic engine for the region that it is today.