Apple Festival is apple pie perfect

The weather was perfect. The apple pies and apple desserts were perfect. And the large crowds were perfectly happy to enjoy games, rides, music and lots of good food during the Iroquois Apple Festival held on Saturday, September 17.

Candace Menges, chair of the Iroquois & District Celebration Festival Committee, which organized the event, said that organizers were “extremely pleased with the day.”

“The only complaint we’ve heard thus far is that there was no where to park,” Menges laughed. “I think I kind of like that complaint, as you don’t hear that too often in the Iroquois Plaza.”

The theme of the 2011 festival was tied in to the 200th anniversary of the McIntosh Apple.

Descendents of the McIntosh family and other guests came from Toronto, Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Cornwall and the United States to visit the community and enjoy the festival.

“We want to offer many thanks to Smyth’s Orchards for providing tours of their orchards and for setting up the McIntosh Apple Visitors’ Centre,” Menges said. “The family was great to work with, and we are very thankful that they have sustained the McIntosh Apple within our community where it originated.”

With members of the McIntosh family assisting, South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds and members of council officially opened the Festival by cutting the red ribbon. Mayor Byvelds praised the work of the organizers. With councillor Evonne Delegarde he presented McIntosh descendents with specially created commemorative coins in honour of the 200th anniversary.

An all day farmers’ market, colourful vendors, Tribeck Inflatables, a petting zoo and lots of fun contests for kid and adults alike were popular at the Festival. Children especially enjoyed the music of H&S Express, while the beat of Landmark rocked the plaza in the afternoon.

Members of the South Dundas council were also called upon to judge desserts and pies. (Some had to sample each offering two or three times just to be sure.) The apple pie winner was Lori Link, while Anne Hartle won top apple dessert.

Cutest apple dumpling baby under age one was Addisyn Blanchette while Kacey Claxton took honours in the one to two year old category. Sarah Steward, Mateo Lacroix and Amber Bailey were judged best in the colouring contests in their age categories. Ethel Merkley won the peeling contest with an apple peel measuring 31.5 inches, while Sharron Miller was the winner of the apple trivial challenge. Lynne Jamieson was the 50/50 draw winner. 

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