Apple Festival seeks volunteers to keep event going in 2021

By JOHN THOMPSON

The Trimble Banner

The Trimble County Apple Festival will need an influx of volunteers before it can return to courthouse square in Bedford this Sept. 11 and 12 after a hiatus last year due to the pandemic.

With COVID-19 cases declining across the state, it appears that the virus will not be the greatest obstacle in the way of the apple festival going forward, rather a lack of hands.

“There’s not going to be another apple festival unless we have volunteers come forward,” said Vice President of the Apple Festival Board and vendor coordinator, Sue Fisher. “If we don’t get volunteers to step up at least by June 1, there’s no way we can pull this off.”

Leadership of the Apple Festival is turning a new page. Fisher has moved to Brown County, Indiana, and will no longer be directly involved. Bill Henderson, Christine Aldridge and Rebecca Moore are all stepping down from their leadership positions for personal reasons. President of the board, Lisa Hatfield, has announced her intention step down from her position, but she will stay involved with committee responsibilities.

“Some of us joined, I mean we’ve got some old-timers here who have been in it for 20-plus years,” Hatfield said in a March committee meeting. “We’re at a good spot and it’s time to hand those reigns over to younger people. I’d really like to see the community step and take some leadership roles, we’ll still be here, especially this year, to assist you.”

The most pressing committee vacancy to fill is the one left by Fisher. The vendor coordinator at this time of year would already be reaching out and organizing craftsmen, chefs and artists. Fisher has emailed previous vendors to gage their interest in a festival this year. Most are onboard with going forward.

“That’s a big spot. It’s huge,” said Fisher. “It might require two or three people get together and do this. We have people who will mentor new volunteers. We’ve got everything set up, it’s just a matter of somebody willing to take that over.”

Coordinating almost a hundred vendors is not the only way Trimble County residents can help preserve and improve their Apple Festival. Fisher said there are so many volunteer roles to fill that would only take a few hours out of someone’s year.

“There’s a lot of little jobs that don’t take up a lot of time that are very important. It might only take a few hours over the course of the year, but it’s so important — like the apple pie contest or apple cider relay. There’s a lot of stuff that people can do that doesn’t take a lot of commitment,” she said.

Before the pandemic, the Trimble County Apple Festival was rising in attendance and scope year after year. The new wave of leadership will enjoy fiscally healthy foundations and a quickly growing reputation.

“COVID has definitely put a damper on things. Our main thing though is we need to find new volunteers, new people to come into the leadership portion of it. The festival is in a good situation, we’re in a good financial spot, donations are coming in, we have a great vendor following and we also got our name out there now. There are a lot of outsiders and our attendance has gone up over the years. It needs leadership and we need some fresh new blood,” Hatfield explained.

Those leadership roles are positions on the board itself, along with the president, vice president and secretary. The vendor and apple pie contest sub-committee chairs are yet to be filled.

The festival will need far more individuals as general helpers to assist with registration, setup, cleaning, errands, contests and tear down.

“I would hate to see the festival not go on for the next couple years. There’s a lot of things that I don’t want to see happen. We’ve got a good thing. People come from all over. I think it’s great for our community,” Hatfield said. “We just need help. We need people to step up and take ownership of their community and love their community. The people here are amazing, just simply amazing.”

If interested in volunteering, inquire through email at information@trimbleapplefest.org.