Warwick to celebrate the 23rd Applefest on Sunday, Oct. 2

View the Applefest Visitor’s Guide at www.warwickapplefest.com WARWICK — Warwick’s largest annual event is only a little more than a week away. On Sunday, Oct. 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Town of Warwick will roll out the red carpet for an estimated 30,000 visitors to the 23rd annual celebration of Applefest. The traditional festival, the area’s most well-attended street fair, has been held since 1989 to celebrate the local apple harvest. The event is now co-produced by the Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Warwick Valley Community Center. Each year local residents and visitors travelling from neighboring states look forward to experiencing Warwick's extraordinary selection of apples, culture, and entertainment. In 2002 the American Bus Association voted Applefest one of the top 10 festivals on its list of best events in North America. Applefest is also the winner of the Times Herald-Record’s “Best of 2010 - Family Event of the Year” category, determined by reader votes. The festival will host more than 240 craft and food vendors, a variety of free live stage performances including music and dance groups, carnival rides for children, a Farmers Market and apple pie baking contest. Want to avoid the Sunday crowds? Families can enjoy rides, games, music and food prior to Applefest at Stanley-Deming Park. The Warwick Valley Community Center will host two fun evenings on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, from 4-10 p.m. Visitors may buy $15 wristbands on each evening for unlimited rides or just purchase individual ride tickets. The Chamber of Commerce and the Community enter will also distribute their Applefest 2011 Visitors Guide free on the day of the event. This 32-page booklet contains schedules of Applefest events, transportation information, directories for craft/food vendors, wineries, u-pick apples, a user-friendly map of the festival area, ads for local businesses, and more. Local artist Giselle Morell-Marin designed the official contest-winning illustration, which will appear on the brochure cover, flyers, T-shirts and tote bags. The festival committee trusts local residents will not be too upset by any inconvenience that day. Applefest is a major fund raiser and much-needed proceeds from the event are used for town-wide community projects and 50 non-profit organizations, which participate in the annual celebration. And for many, Applefest is the one fund-raising event that provides necessary money to serve the community throughout the year. Sponsors The Applefest committee members would also like to express their thanks and appreciation for the generosity of this year's sponsors: Platinum: County Waste; Gold: Nationwide Insurance, Orange & Rockland, Price Chopper, St. Anthony Community Hospital, Tank Masters, Inc., TransTech Bus, Warwick Valley Apple Trail; Silver: East Coast Alternative Energy, Geico, Mountain Creek/Crystal Springs, News 12 Hudson Valley, Orange County Golf Carts, Richard Cass/David Lerner Associates, ShopRite, WTBQ Radio, WVT Communications; and Bronze: Hudson Historics and Warwick Grove. Traffic Traffic to and from the Village is expected to be unusually heavy. The Warwick Police Department urges residents to avoid driving near or through the Village. There are special designated parking areas at the Middle School and the Park Avenue School with shuttle service to and from the festival as required. Transportation for the disabled will be available at the Middle School parking area. Look for the signs.