MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — It’s an Eastern Panhandle staple, drawing longtime residents and newcomers to a bevy of fall-themed activities honoring the agricultural heritage of the region as well as the harvest.
This year is the 46th Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival. MSAHF Board President Susan Snowden has seen most of them. “My aunt was a founding member and then I have been a volunteer and or board member since 1979.”
Snowden sat down recently to reflect on WEPM’s Panhandle Live. “This is our 46th year. The festival began in 1979 with the radio station’s own Chuck Thornton back in the day as one of the founding members,” she said, noting she has been involved in the majority of the ensuing Apple Harvests, serving many years as president of the board.
Snowden talked about how things have changed, and how some have stayed the same. “The first thing that we’ve had every year is Queen Pomona,” Snowden said. “The way she is selected Is different than it was in the beginning. The beginning was a beauty contest, nothing wrong with that. But what distinguishes Queen Pomona now is that she is selected by the members of the board of directors to represent the apple industry and our economic growth and development in the Eastern Panhandle. And so her selection is based upon community activities, community involvement, knowledge of the agricultural industry overall, volunteerism and, of course, academics.”
“There’s always been a parade, and everybody loves a parade, right?,” said Snowden. “Even when it’s rained, we’ve gone on with a parade. I don’t believe we’ve ever, ever canceled. Knock on wood, it’s going to be gorgeous this weekend, so that’s a good thing”
“One other big shift has been that in the beginning, almost every event was run by a service organization. That has become harder to do in today’s world for lots of different reasons, and now every board member is in charge of an event. They each have a committee, but one thing stays the same and that is we are all volunteer often and went throughout the years. There were executive directors in the beginning, but we have been all volunteer for the last 20 years,” Snowden explained.
She says the Apple Harvest Festival is now reaching into generational experiences. “I’m starting now to see the second generation of folks whose parents participated and now their families are participating. For some, it’s a third generation, like mine.”
As to what motivates the myriad community volunteers and groups to put on a massive festival each year, Snowden said, “What it’s about is a couple drivers. First is agricultural heritage. You can’t forget where you came from.” The second driver, she said, is economic. “Supporting the farmers that we do have left. In the program this year, you will find, thanks to Kent Leonhardt, our Commissioner of Agriculture and his department, a map that shows you every farmers market in the Greater Eastern Panhandle. And so that’s a great way for you to get your family out there and, and go to a farm, buy your apples, see how it’s done.”
She said the Apple Harvest Festival is an annual homecoming for some. “It is an opportunity for folks to come home to visit and to have family friendly events to go to. It is a great way also to get people from outside the community to come and see what we have to offer here.”
The festival draws more and more to it each year, Snowden said. “Certainly attendance is up. I think that’s also an indicator that the area has expanded, but we also have folks that come here, especially vendors to participate from all over the country. And we are becoming a little more nationally known, which is also a nice thing.”
Among those being honored this year is former POW Jessica Lynch. “She is our Grand Marshall and she will be giving inspirational discussions at our Queen Pomona’s Brunch,” Snowden said.
She’ll be making an appearance at the Berkeley County Youth Fairgrounds, where a lot of festivities continue during the weekend, including vendor pop-up shops and agricultural contests. Veterans have a special invitation to Lynch’s appearance. “If you’re a veteran, bring your card to show that you’re a vet and we’re waiving your fee to get in to come see her at 10 AM on Sunday morning.”
“You can also have your pancake breakfast, also a perennial favorite. And the apple pies. Apple pies are great.” Snowden, who was the first grand champion of the Apple Pie baking competition back in 1979, says they’ll get as many as 100 entries, with the grand champions being auctioned off.
A Royal Tradition
Outgoing Queen Pomona 45 Abigail McBee graduated with a Masters Degree from the University of Alabama during her reign but managed to make multiple appearances in classrooms and agricultural events to spread the word about the festival and the area’s apple production heritage. Her favorite event, she said, was the Grand Feature Parade. “Always my favorite is that Mountain State Apple Harvest Grand feature parade on Saturday. That is just a great opportunity for everybody. There’s always something to see and it’s a great way to support the community.” Another event that’s close to her heart, “The coronation at Airborne Church. That’s where you really get to feel the importance of this festival and its importance in the community.”
Both McBee and Maid-elect Syrah George have relatives who have been on the court of Queen Pomona during past Apple Harvest festivals.
George, who will be crowned Queen Pomona 46 Friday, won a state Social Studies award for her project about the festival. She’s been attending since she was small, and remembers being on the court as a youngster. “I was seven years old when I was a junior maiden on the court. And I would definitely say at that age, the ball was probably one of my favorite things. I love to dance, so dancing with all the older girls and all of my friends, that was just so fun for me.”
“And then I’ve also just always enjoyed the parade, watching all the different clubs and groups around here and the Eastern Panhandle. Just coming down, marching down the streets of Martinsburg and getting to see them was really cool.
Both women had a gown designed especially for their reign as Queen Pomona. Syrah George and her mom as well as Coronation Chair Courtney Funk are among the select few who have seen the gown she’ll debut at the coronation Friday night.
As for her upcoming reign as Queen Pomona, “I want to visit some farmers markets here in the Eastern Panhandle and really talk to the farmers and orchardists and just get some first hand knowledge of what it’s like for them on their farms and just learn even more about the apple industry,” she said.
And she wants to get into the classroom and continue the tradition of talking up the festival and the region’s apple heritage. ” I want to visit lots of elementary schools and intermediate schools in my next year,” she said. “Whatever community groups or schools, if anybody ever wants me to come talk or see their kids, I will be doing that.”
On Thursday at the Hollywood Casino in Charles Town, the Royal Gala was expected to draw more than 200 people. “The Commissioner of Agriculture will give a speech about the state of agriculture in West Virginia and will recognize our honored West Virginia coming from a long line of agricultural families, Todd Butler. And Jessica Lynch will be speaking. She’s sponsored by Valor Reserve, so we are very appreciative of that,” Snowden said.
Apple Heritage
Of course, apples are a big draw, and apple-themed contests, from apple eating to apple pie baking to apple peeling will take the stage this weekend.
WVU Extension Agent/4-H Coordinator Mikie Withrow serves as a MSAHF board member and long-time volunteer. He is also the chair of the Agriculture contests, which he says draws contestants from around the state. “I think part of my role and when I came onto the board, I just wanted to make sure that it was highlighted, was the agricultural producers contest. It is something that horticulture in the Eastern Panhandle is a dying art. Every year we see more and more acres of farmland being dismantled either for housing developments or whatever it is for growth and development. But our our festival truly focuses on making sure that their story is told,” Withrow said.
During the Apple Harvest Festival, “We do that by having an agricultural producers contest that is on for display for anyone who comes to the fairgrounds. And what we do is we invite any agricultural producer in West Virginia to do it, but essentially we have a couple different contests. One of the most exciting that everybody really looks forward to is the largest apple. And we get some poundage.”
He says the apples put up in the competition can weigh anywhere from a pound to more than two. “The biggest one I’ve seen has probably been 2.4 pounds three years ago,” Withrow said, noting it was about the size of a small cantaloupe. Withrow, himself a six-time grand champion apple eater from years past, had some tips for competitors and some interesting facts about the flavor of giant apples when he appeared Thursday on Panhandle Live.
The agricultural competitors “All come in Saturday morning and get judged by someone in the agricultural field and they do the largest apple, what we call the plate of five, which is five apples that you’re trying to get to look identical. And then we do a single layer tray pack contest,” Withrow explains. “So apples are graded into different size categories when you buy them. So they can range in anything from a 64, which is a larger 3 inch apple all the way to like a 138, which is about an inch and a half, two inches. Umm And we ask every producer to turn in a single layer tray of 88s. So there’s 4 layers in a box. You divide that by 4 and that’s how many apples are on a track. And essentially what you’re trying to do is get every apple to weigh the same. It’s a hard contest.”
More about the contests and activities for the Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival can be found here.