Apple Festival rundown at Rotary

Tehachapi Apple Festival organizer, Linda Carhart, was the speaker at the Nov. 30 Tehachapi Rotary Club luncheon meeting at Kelcy's Restaurant. Carhart, who is a retired recording company executive and a Rotarian for many years, gave the group a rundown of this year's festival, which was held on the weekend of Oct. 14 and 15.

The Apple Festival began 10 years ago in 2013, organized by Carhart and David Brust, who at one time was a Tehachapi resident. The original location of the event was Railroad Park. After Brust moved away, Carhart continued the event on her own with the help of many local volunteers. The event outgrew Railroad Park after the first three years and, after much negotiating with the City of Tehachapi, was moved to Green Street and Centennial Plaza. Ten years later, still on Green Street, the event has extended on Green all the way to D Street and east and west on F Street. The number of vendors has increased annually and by 2023 reached 104. A Vintage Trailer show was added in 2022 located on West F Street. This year, as the vendor area extended west on Green Street, all the children's activities were moved to East F Street between Green and Curry streets.

Carhart said that this year she is donating $6,050 to the clubs and organizations that assisted with the production of the Apple Festival.

The Rotary Club of Tehachapi is a volunteer service organization with the motto, "Service Above Self." The club meets on Thursdays at noon. For more information about Rotary Club, you can visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RotaryClubofTehachapi/.