Get ready for the best Tenbury Apple Fest yet (From Ludlow Advertiser)

Get ready for the best Tenbury Apple Fest yet

9:28am Tuesday 2nd October 2012 in News By Adrian Kibbler

MUSIC will play into the night as part of a series of innovations planned for the Tenbury Apple Fest.

And Sarah Thompson, who is leading the volunteers behind the annual festival of apples, promises the event will be bigger and better than ever this year.

“We have a number of new innovations planned and there are some surprises that we shall be keeping up our sleeves,” she said.

One of the changes will be an extended programme of demonstrations with a number of experts showing all the things you can do with the humble apple.

Well known local producer Frank Matthews is involved in the festival again and the Tenbury Apple Group will be providing knowledge and expertise.

“There will be the chance for people to get different types of apples identified and we shall also be showing the art of apple grafting in which different species are combined,” added Sarah.

Cooks of all aged will be able to take part in the popular apple pie competition with categories this year for children, home baked and professional.

The Apple Fest usually attracts at least 2,000 visitors to the town but Sarah hopes even more will come this year.

So far more than 40 exhibitors have signed up for the Festival and this will be added to by the big day, on Saturday, October 13.

The event runs from 10am to 4pm and entrance is just £1 for adults, with children getting in for free, and visitors will be able to go in and out of the Burgage as many times as they like.

“It is a chance to show off Tenbury to visitors, so we shall be encouraging people to look around,” Sarah added.

A big innovation to the festival this year is the introduction of folk music in a marquee.

“We feel that folk music will be more in tune with the atmosphere of the Apple Fest and will be quieter and more in tune with the market town setting,” Sarah said.

But this does not mean that people who like more decibels will be disappointed.

For the first time the day will be extended with bands playing into the evening.