by Maggie Fitzgibbon
on behalf of the Hilton Apple Fest
Since 1981, the Hilton Apple Fest celebrates the fall season with a two-day long apple extravaganza. This year’s Hilton Apple Fest will take place on Saturday, September 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 1 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., on the grounds of the Hilton Community Center in the village of Hilton.
The weekend is packed full of events including an apple pie contest, Corey’s Apple Pond, a fall porch/yard/entryway decorating contest, a farmers’ market and apple growers’ area, the Hilton Apple Fest Auto Show, a full schedule of entertainment, including a special area for children called the Kids’ Korner.
The ever-popular Corey’s Apple Pond makes a return to the Hilton Apple Fest. Kids can fish out an apple to keep and also win a prize. The Kids’ Korner features a full slate of children’s entertainment, a petting zoo and kids’ activities.
Stop out to the Apple Fest Auto Show and check out area car buffs’ prized set of wheels. This year’s auto show celebrates the 70th Anniversary of the Corvette. The Auto Show will be held on Saturday, September 30 at the Village Elementary School located at 100 School Lane. The gates open at 8 a.m. and the awards ceremony will be held at 4 p.m.
Four different stages will showcase local and regional entertainment including a stage at the Kids’ Korner featuring performers just for the small set. On Saturday, September 30, the Hilton HS Marching Band kicks off the Apple Fest at 10 a.m. The well-known party band Begging Angels will perform on Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. on the Main Stage. Which Low is set to perform on Sunday, October 1 from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on the Main Stage. Check out this special section for more Apple Fest entertainment information.
Are you looking for a new piece of home décor or a piece of jewelry? This year’s Apple Fest will include over 100 crafters each offering their specialty including clothing, painting, floral design, glass, jewelry, pottery, photography, special media textiles and wood. Browse the work of these artisans who travel from across the United States to set up shop at the Apple Fest.
Calling all bakers, pastry chefs and culinary wizards! Do you have a family favorite apple pie recipe? Dust off your rolling pin and enter your apple pie in the Apple Pie Contest. Pies need to be delivered to the Ingham Room of the Hilton Community Center between 8 and 9 a.m. on September 30. Judging begins at 9:30 a.m. Pies will be judged on appearance, taste and texture. There are two divisions, Youth (up to and including 16-year-olds) and Adult. Pre-registration is preferred. The entry form can be found at http://www.hiltonapplefest.org.
Area collectors can be found in the Hilton Community Center gymnasium. Check out their goods like toys, sports memorabilia, action figures, comics and more.
Make a stop at the Farmers’ Market and peruse local growers’ selection of fruits, vegetables, organic food, crafts and local specialties. Area apple farmers R&K Bakery (Zarpentine Farms R&K), and Partyka Farms will be set up in front of the Hilton Community Center and will sell their farm fresh apples, cider and pastries.
You can’t forget your Hilton Apple Fest merchandise. T-shirts, hoodies, ceramic mugs and much more will be for sale at the Merch Tent.
Nineteen Hilton-area community organizations will sell various food items at the Hilton Apple Fest. These non-profit food vendors consider their food booths as their main fundraising opportunity for the year. The Apple Fest draws tens of thousands of festival goers which translates into hungry mouths to feed.
The Hilton Lions Club will sell Polish sausage with sauerkraut, candy apples, and hot and cold cider. Hilton Lions Club member Joe Lee explained how this group’s food booth at the Apple Fest is their biggest fundraiser.
“Any funds we raise are invested back into our community. The Lions Club supports the Hilton Parma Emergency Food Shelf by staffing a stuff-a-bus at Tops Markets, we put on Red Cross Blood drives, do road clean ups, collect used eyeglasses and hearing aids and send them to developing countries. The Lions Club also supports Camp Abilities, a summer camp for children with visual impairments that is held at SUNY Brockport,” Lee said. “We have even paid for eye screenings and eyeglasses for children in need.”
Plenty of free parking is available at Hilton High School located on 400 East Avenue. Shuttle buses run every 10 to15 minutes to and from Hilton High School and festival grounds. Tour buses are welcome. Handicapped parking is also available at Hilton High School. The shuttle buses will run 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
More information about the Hilton Apple Fest is available in this special section or at http://hiltonapplefest.org or via Hilton Apple Fest’s Facebook page.
2023 Hilton Apple Fest logo chosen
A logo design submitted by Sarah Ventura was chosen as the winner of the 2023 Hilton Apple Fest Logo Contest, which seeks out a unique new logo to commemorate the fall festival and harvest each year.
A 17-year career in graphic design and a love for the Hilton Apple Fest propelled Ventura to enter this year’s logo contest. It’s a tradition she’s excited to become a part of.
“I have always wanted to be a part of the Apple Fest celebration,” Ventura shares. “I was elated to find out that the logo I designed was selected for this year’s festival – it truly is an honor to have the winning design!”
Growing up in Hilton, Ventura and her husband are now raising their family (with three little ones) in the same community that’s always meant so much to her. She shares that the Apple Fest has always been one of her favorite fall traditions.
“The way the whole town comes together with wonderful food, crafts and music, you can truly feel the whole heart in our community,” she illustrates. “You have no idea how much this means to me!”
This year will be especially exciting for Ventura, with the logo she designed adorning a variety of Apple Fest merchandise, from hand spun ceramic coffee mugs, to t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies.
As a token of appreciation, Jeff Hand presented Ventura with a $100 award and a sweatshirt embroidered with the winning logo on behalf of the Hilton Apple Fest board of directors.
The 41st Hilton Apple Fest will take place Saturday, September 30 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Sunday, October 1 from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Discover more festival tidbits at http://www.hiltonapplefest.org.
Provided information and photo
Hilton Apple Fest 2023 Scholarship Winners
Each year, the Hilton Apple Fest committee raises funds to award at least two of Hilton’s High School graduates with a scholarship in recognition of their volunteering service throughout the Hilton community. The requirements are the student is a resident of the Hilton Central School District, be a graduating senior, and have volunteered in the community.
This year’s recipients are Victoria Velyk and Gabrielle Hix.
Victoria Velyk is a freshman at SUNY Brockport. Her goal is to follow in her mother’s steps and become a special education teacher. Victoria discovered her passion for teaching by volunteering in her mother’s classroom during a summer extended school year program. In her essay she noted how she was inspired by the determination and perseverance these children showed. Her volunteer work extends across the Hilton community. She is a Girl Scout and has earned the Gold Award. She has volunteered during the Hilton Cares’ clothing drives and helped to repair the home of a local veteran. As an equestrian she’s volunteered her time providing pony rides and lessons to children.
Gabrielle Hix is a freshman at Sienna College where she is enrolled in the Siena/Albany Medical College Science and Humanities Program. In this dual program, students earn a B.A. degree from Siena after four years and an M.D. degree from Albany Medical College upon completion of the medical curriculum. Gabrielle’s extensive volunteering at Seneca Ridge Dialysis Clinic is one of the reasons she was selected as a Hilton Apple Fest 2023 Scholarship winner. In her essay, she explained how many of the patients at this clinic are disadvantaged, not only financially but also in their ability to communicate. Her volunteer duties included helping these patients communicate as well as reassuring them during lengthy hours of dialysis.
Matt Ulakovic, Hilton Apple Fest Vice-Chair, noted how deserving two students are of these scholarships.
“We are so happy to be able to honor the hard work and dedication of such deserving graduates of Hilton High School as they embark on the next leg of their academic journeys and prepare to become the future leaders of our community, wherever their studies take them,” Ulakovic said. “As is the case with this year’s scholarship recipients, it’s always a privilege to read about the hopes, visions and plans our young scholars have for a better, brighter community both here in Hilton, and throughout the world.”
Festival goers can support next year’s scholarship by entering the Apple Fest’s $500 Visa Gift Card sweepstakes located at the Craft Raffle tent. The drawing will be held on December 5. The proceeds from this drawing help to fund scholarships for high achieving Hilton High School students.
