SALEM, W.Va. The Salem Apple Butter Festival is going on through Sunday in downtown.
4As of Friday morning, Chair of the Festival Committee Christy Howell said the apple butter makers are ready and the featured entertainment for the evening is getting ready to perform.
“Everybody is outside stirring their apple butter as we speak, cinnamon is in the air, and the Davisson Brothers Band is unloading all of the equipment onto the stage,” Howell said.
The Davisson Brothers Band takes the stage at 7 p.m. Friday, and award-winning Elvis impersonator Dwight Isenhower is the featured entertainment at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Howell said the history of apple butter making goes back centuries, and this free event gives families an opportunity to relive that heritage.
“As I understand it, this dates back to centuries of people making apple butter in their homes as a family,” Howell said. “It’s a family project” because it takes hours of stirring and taking turns.”
Howell said there will be all types of apple butter for sale on the grounds, and it’s also being made through the weekend. Makers are also offering free tastes to families during the event.
“You can get pints or quarts of apple butter and sugar-free apple butter if you need that,” Howell said. “Fort New Salem has a new thing- they’re going to serve homemade bread with it so it may be something to come down and try.”
Sunday starts with a car show in the morning, then gospel music in the afternoon, and Howell said they’ll have a brand new event Sunday evening.
“That evening we started a new thing called the Queens Ball, where we’ve invited all the past queens to join us with the surrounding festival queens,” Howell said.