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Traditionally, the Labor Day weekend marked the end of summer vacation, and school-age kids looked forward to the first day of school - wearing their new fall plaids and penny loafers - the following Tuesday. Well, those days are long-gone, as area kids have been in (mostly) air-conditioned schools for as long as three weeks now, but Labor Day still gives us a three-day weekend and an opportunity to get out and enjoy the last days of summer at some great area festivals.The 2002 North Carolina Apple Festival is gearing up for another fabulous weekend of great entertainment, arts and crafts, food, and outdoor activities. Held in Hendersonville, NC, each year, the festival is celebrating 56 consecutive years the event has been held with the special apple theme of "The All-American Fruit." This festival recognizes the importance of the apple industry to Henderson County. The North Carolina Apple Festival will be held from Friday, August 30, through Monday, September 2, in downtown Hendersonville and surrounding areas. Events are varied with Hendersonville's Historic Main Street hosting most of the fun. More than 150 vendors will line six blocks of the main event area. Two music stages will entertain the crowds for three days with gospel, bluegrass, beach, and folk music. The MountainBank King Apple Parade, always held on Labor Day, will conclude the Main Street activities. Reminiscent of early festivals, the North Carolina Apple Festival will close with a gala ball and a street dance. The North Carolina Apple Festival maintains its lovely, old-fashioned appeal while including more contemporary events such as the family bicycle road races and rides. For complete information on entertainment, directions, and specific events, please visit the NC Apple Festival's web site at www.ncapplefestival.org.
The music will get started on Friday evening at 6 PM with Senatobia, followed by Phillip Abernathy at 7 PM and 99 Years from 8:30-10 PM. Music will run virtually non-stop on Saturday from Noon-10 PM and again on Sunday from 2-8 PM. Adult admission at the gate is $10, $8 for seniors and students; admission includes entry to the Blue Ridge Corn Maze. Primitive camping is available for $10 per site per night. Food vendors will be on site all weekend, with Doc Hubbards BBQ featured on Saturday. Leave your pet at home, and no alcohol is allowed or sold at the festival.
If you are willing to travel slightly further and enjoy "the road less travelled," try heading south to the Dacusville (SC) Farm Days, an antique machinery show that is held each Labor Day weekend in Dacusville, SC, between Pickens and Greenville. It includes steam engines, old tractors, and other old farm machinery, as well as music, arts and crafts, and food. A tractor parade is held several times each day. Admission to Dacusville Farm Days is $5, children under 12 are free. To drive to Dacusville Farm Days, take Hwy. 123 into Easley, turn north on Hwy. 135 and travel to the intersection with Hwy. 186, then turn right on Hwy. 186 (east). After passing through Dacusville and past Nine Forks Baptist Church, turn left on Pace Bridge Road. The show grounds are on the left. If you get lost or need more information about this truly old-fashioned celebration of simpler days, call Jimmy Robinson, the founder of Dacusville Farm Days, at 864-836-6893. Finally, should all of these festivals leave you yearning for something that is faster-paced - and infinitely louder - NASCAR will be running the Mountain Dew Southern 500 on Labor Day at the Darlington (SC) Raceway. Race time is 1 PM, and tickets are still available (www.nascarracetickets.com); be sure to bring your earplugs. (Photos and logos provided by Festival Organizers)
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Music lovers will certainly get their money's worth when they visit the Land of the Sky Music and Arts Festival in Brevard, NC, August 30-September 1, 2002. This festival is actually three events in one - the Blue Ridge Blues Fest, Family Tree Fest, and the National Slide Guitar Fest. The festival will be held on the grounds of the Blue Ridge Corn Maze on Everett Road near Pisgah Forest. The Blue Ridge Blues Fest portion of the Festival will feature the best of local and regional blues. The Family Tree Fest will feature groups that honor the music of groups comprised of at least two family members, such as The Allman Brothers Band, Beach Boys, Bee Gees, and the like. The National Slide Guitar Fest will feature music competitions, workshops, demonstrations, and some of the best slide guitar players in the country.
For more information on the entertainment and directions to the festival site, visit www.blueridgecornmaze.com or www.slideguitarfest.com. 