Apple Festival, Oct. 7-8

This year we celebrate the 5th year of The Tehachapi Apple Festival. It takes place on Oct. 7 from 10 til 6 p.m. and Oct. 8 from 10 til 4 p.m. on Green St. in Downtown Tehachapi.

The first two years were a relatively small festival taking place at Railroad Park and featuring about 35 booths, live music, apple bobbing, apple pie eating contest and an apple pie baking contest. Several of the booths were local apple growers and others were either food or merchandise. A major feature every year has been the Kid Zone, which takes place at the Depot lawn. The Kid Zone has a $10 wrist band fee which allows an unlimited time and entry to multiple bounce houses that are enjoyed by over 900 kids over the course of the two day festival. A one time, one bounce house ticket is $3. On the deck at the Depot the Freemasons offer free child ID Cards for parents. They fingerprinted almost 200 children last year and they give the cards to parents at no cost. The Tehachapi Lions Club has an "apple drop" every year. For $5 you purchase a numbered foam apple. All the sold apples are taken in a basket to the top of a crane and dropped on a target on the street. The apple closest to the target is the grand winner.

By year three, the Apple Festival was not only in Railroad Park, and had the Kid Zone but expanded to Green Street between Tehachapi Blvd. and E Street. In year four, we introduced a Red Car Show on Saturday on F Street between Curry and Green Streets.

This is our Fifth year, and we are making some big changes. Here is what is new and different. One, we will not be in Railroad Park at all this year. The Tehachapi Apple Festival will be on Green Street from Tehachapi Blvd. to D Street. We will have well over 80 vendors with lots of great food, drinks and merchandise. The Kid Zone and Freemason ID cards will continue to be at The Depot. Between E and D Street will be several vendors PLUS a petting zoo. A variety of kids entertainment is scheduled throughout the day, including face painting, the Key Club interactive book reading, Robotic Club demonstrations, puppet shows, TCT actors, and much more.

In Centennial Plaza on Green Street the Festival will feature a Beer and Wine Garden with live music and tables and chairs. Take a break, enjoy your food and an adult beverage. The beer and wine will be served by members of the Tehachapi Symphony Orchestra. All the live music, apple bobbing and pie contests will take place in Centennial Plaza at intervals throughout the day. Most of these activities will be taking place both Saturday and Sunday. Pie Eating will be featured on Saturday, and Pie Baking contest (see entry form on this page) will take place on Sunday.

On Sunday, the car show will feature red, yellow and green cars on F Street between Curry and Green Streets. This car show offers the public an opportunity to cast a ballot for your favorite car of the red, yellow and green cars and the winner will receive $250, second place will receive $100.

New this year is an Electric Vehicle Show sponsored by Kern County Office of Government (Kern COG). Several dealerships will be displaying new EVs and offering test drives in the local streets, plus other EV owners will be displaying their cars to the general public. This is not a competition but a way to show the public the advantages and newer designs of electric vehicles.

For more information about the Tehachapi Apple Festival visit our website at http://www.tehachapiapplefestival.com or call Linda at (818) 519-7144. Remember, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. See you there.