On Sunday, Sept. 21, I had the pleasure of attending the 12th Annual Apple Days festival. Located on the Burnside Plantation, just a 15-minute walk from Moravian, and organized by the Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites. Apple Days is a celebration of apples and orchards as well as their place in historical cooking. The event featured historic demonstrations such as reenactments and even an authentic Moravian love feast that guests could partake in.
One of my favorite activities was Quotes and Quills, a calligraphy activity where you could write using an actual feather quill and inkwell, just like how it was done during the colonial period. I’ve always wanted to get into calligraphy, so this was such an engaging introduction to writing like an 18th-century scholar
Other activities included pig-painting, candle making, goat snuggling, and family storytime hours. The event also had a nifty petting zoo where you could pet rabbits, sheep, and a mule, and for five dollars, you could even feed them! Additionally, several Apple Days workers and volunteers were dressed up in colonial attire during the many historical demonstrations, and as a history major, I really appreciated the commitment to the early American home-life era.
In terms of apple-based delicacies you could try, vendors were selling apple dumplings, caramel apple ice cream, and apple cider doughnut holes. I tried an apple dumpling, which is an apple boiled within a pastry, for the first time, and it was so delicious and perfectly crumbly.
Additionally, there was also a 21+ Apple Barrel Tavern where you could try different ciders, cocktails and beers. Since I had a free tavern pass, I was able to sample a few bubbly cocktails – my favorite one by far was the blueberry lemonade sangria!
Other than apple-based products, Apple Days also had a variety of food truck options to choose from: Couchpotatta-doh, Taco Town, and Pasta Eva. My boyfriend and I tried a wonderful fettuccine alfredo from Pasta Eva, and it was genuinely one of the best pasta dishes I’ve had in a while.
I spoke with former reporter for the Comenian, Sabrina Moody, ‘23, who was working the event, and asked what Apple Days meant to her.
“Before I was even hired at Historic Bethlehem [Museums and Sites], I had a job that I actually did here, so I’ve been doing this for a little while,” she said. “Apple Days is very personal to me for that reason, and it’s just a pleasure to still be here and have even more things to do here in helping set up this event with all of the amazing people I work with.”
