Festival Overview

The North Carolina Apple Festival is held annually over Labor Day Weekend in Hendersonville, North Carolina. It has been Western North Carolina’s Premier Family Festival for 77 years. From August 30 – September 2, 2024 you can enjoy 4 days of fun including one of the best known street fairs in the Carolinas with freshly picked apples, arts & crafts, festival food and FREE entertainment at the Historic Courthouse on Hendersonville’s beautiful Main Street.

Start your day off with one of the breakfasts and then spend the rest of the day enjoying the excitement of Main Street as well as many other activities across the community. And on Labor Day, don’t forget the King Apple Parade! Why do we celebrate our apples here in Henderson County? The apple has been called the loveliest of all fruits. It is also one of the most important agricultural crops grown in Henderson County. During a normal year it brings in an average income of $22 million dollars or more.

Growing apples has been part of Henderson County’s culture and heritage since the mid-1700s. Today there are approximately 200 apple growers in Henderson County. North Carolina is the 7th largest apple producing state in the nation and Henderson County grows 65% of all apples in North Carolina. The North Carolina Apple Festival is proud to include 15 local apple growers in the Street Fair. You can purchase a few apples or bushels of fresh locally grown apples. Many of the growers also feature items such as fried apple pies, apple cakes, apple butter and apple cider at the Festival.

Demographics

Annually, the North Carolina Apple Festival is one of the largest family events in the entire state. The annual estimated attendance is over 250,000. Our attendees are from Henderson County (30%); Western North Carolina (20%); the Upstate of South Carolina (20%); Metro Charlotte (10%) with the balance from across the Southeastern United States. Based on our survey, we get an overall positive rating of 4.58 on a scale of 5. You also should know that we do not allow any commercial vendors within the Street Fair with the exception of our Sponsors!

Sponsorship Summary

Your sponsorship covers our non-income producing expenses of the Festival and these include advertising, insurance, portable restroom trailer stations, entertainment, the professional stage that includes sound, light, performers, electricity, and other various fees. It is the generous support of our business sponsors and donors; the Festival has been able to promote Henderson County Apples and Heritage for years. Each year, we have 250,000 attendees and over $12 million infused into the Hendersonville area economy due to the Festival. Besides our local residents, we welcome visitors come across Western North Carolina, the Upstate of South Carolina and from all parts of the United States. Your contribution shows our community that you are dedicated in promoting and enriching our area with your giving.

The North Carolina Apple Festival could not exist without the valued support of our sponsors and donors.  We would love to talk to you about including your business as a Sponsor. There are many opportunities including participation in the Street Fair and naming rights to the stage; parade, or other events.

For more information on being a sponsor of the North Carolina Apple Festival please contact Renee Elrod at apple@ncapplefestival.org.

The 2024 deadline to become a sponsor is June 30, 2024.