Morgan County’s busiest weekend is about to begin. The 51st Annual Apple Butter Festival will kick off this Friday, October 9 and continue Saturday and Sunday, October 10-11 with new attractions, expanded family activities, lively entertainment, and the traditions that have made it one of West Virginia’s most beloved fall festivals for more than half a century.
The weekend begins Friday evening with the West Virginia Beer, Wine & Spirits Garden Kickoff Party and continues through Sunday afternoon.
On Saturday, the festival kicks off with the morning Apple Butter Festival Parade at 9 a.m., led by this year’s Morganite Community Award recipients, honored for their outstanding contributions to Morgan County. 
Entries will begin at the Berkeley Springs High School and parade through town to the historical Berkeley Springs train depot.
Afterwards, the festival officially opens in Berkeley Springs State Park and surrounding streets.
More than 200 new and returning artists and craftspeople will fill the streets of historic downtown with everything from traditional Appalachian crafts and fine art to handcrafted jewelry, pottery, woodworking, home décor, and one-of-a-kind gifts. The experience extends beyond the festival streets into Berkeley Springs’ galleries, shops, and the Ice House art center.
This year’s festival introduces several exciting additions, including the first-ever Apple Butter Festival Trail 5K at Cacapon Resort State Park on Sunday morning. Runners will wind through scenic mountain trails before heading into town to enjoy the festival.
Families can enjoy the new Family Fun Zone, where kids and grown-ups alike can challenge each other to oversized games, hula hoop and jump rope contests, and other activities designed to bring everyone together for fun, laughter, and a little friendly competition before heading back out to explore the festival.
While there are exciting new experiences to discover, the heart of the Apple Butter Festival remains unchanged. Volunteers from the Greenwood Community Center will once again spend the weekend stirring apple butter over open fires in the giant copper kettles that have become the festival’s most iconic image, filling downtown with the unmistakable aroma of fresh apple butter that welcomes visitors each October.
Despite a late spring frost that significantly impacted this year’s apple crop, partners throughout the community came together to keep one of the festival’s most beloved traditions alive.
Crowd favorites include the Beard & Mustache Contest, Hog Calling, Egg Toss, Baking Contest, and a raffle for the beautiful handcrafted Apple Butter Festival Quilt.
Live music fills the festival all weekend long, with performances ranging from bluegrass and gospel to rock, country, and classic favorites. Saturday’s Main Stage features West Virginia rockabilly favorite Ryan Cain & the Ables, followed by Hillbilly Biscuits, whose energetic blend of bluegrass, country, and mountain music is sure to keep toes tapping all afternoon. Sunday begins with the uplifting Southern gospel of Hymns for Him before longtime festival favorites The Flashbacks return with the oldies, classics, and vintage rock ‘n’ roll that have made them a crowd favorite year after year.
The Beer, Wine & Spirits Garden features performances by Mark Cullinane, Rusted Blue, Circa Blue, and Saturday night headliner Cazhmiere, one of the Mid-Atlantic’s most in-demand Top 40 dance bands. Combined with West Virginia craft beverages, delicious food, and a lively atmosphere, it’s the perfect place to cap off a day at the festival.
Today, the Apple Butter Festival is one of West Virginia’s largest and longest-running fall festivals, drawing tens of thousands of visitors to Berkeley Springs each October.
One of the festival’s biggest attractions is the variety of food. From two food courts to vendors throughout downtown and the Beer, Wine & Spirits Garden, visitors will find everything from smoky BBQ, handcrafted flatbread pizza, giant turkey legs, blooming onions, funnel cakes, apple dumplings, Amish donuts, fresh-squeezed lemonade, and fresh-cut fries to Greek, Thai, Jamaican, and other international favorites.
New this year, visitors can even enjoy authentic poutine alongside all the classic festival treats.
Admission to the Apple Butter Festival is free. Free shuttle service from designated parking areas makes getting to the festival easy, while additional parking is available in lots operated by civic organizations throughout downtown.
Hosted by the Berkeley Springs-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce, the Apple Butter Festival is made possible through the support of hundreds of volunteers, sponsors, community organizations, and local businesses who come together each year to welcome visitors from near and far.
For the complete festival schedule, parking information, shuttle locations, and additional event details, visit BerkeleySpringsChamber.com, follow Apple Butter Festival WV on Facebook, or call the Berkeley Springs-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce at 304-258-3738.
