Guest Author - Brenda Potter Reynolds

Applefest 2003 will be held on Sunday, October 5, 2003 from 10am to 5pm in downtown Warwick, NY. Warwick, located in the Hudson Valley just one hour north of New York City, is also known for the onions and other produce grown in its famous "Black Dirt Region."

Organized by members of the community and the Warwick Valley Chamber of
Commerce, Applefest has been held the first Sunday of October every year
since 1988. Average attendance is in the vicinity of 30,000, with last
year's numbers estimated closer to 35,000. The free street festival
features over 250 craft booths, 40 food vendors, a community farmers'
market, children's amusements, and 5 stages of live entertainment. In
addition, nearby orchards are available for "pick-your-own" apples.

Warwick's Applefest has been selected by the American Bus Association (ABA)
as one of the top 100 events in North America for 2003. The festive event
celebrates the area's bountiful apple harvest, and was submitted for
consideration by Orange County Tourism. Applefest competed with 500 events from across the country according to the ABA Top 100 Events Committee.

Further information on Applefest and other Orange County events and
attractions is available at the Orange County Tourism web site,
http://www.orangetourism.org or by calling 845-291-2136.