Apple pie may be the classic, but at the Apple Butter Festival Baking Contest, apples can become just about anything.
Cakes, cookies, breads, muffins, pastries, apple dumplings and plenty of creations that don’t fit neatly into any category are all welcome when the Baking Contest returns Saturday, October 10 as part of the 51st Annual Apple Butter Festival. 
Whether it’s a treasured family recipe passed down through generations or something entirely new, the only real requirement is that apples have a starring role.
The contest is presented by Blue Ridge Community and Technical College, with Blue Ridge and the Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle working together to organize and run the event.
Both organizations put in plenty of work behind the scenes to make the contest happen, from collecting entries and coordinating judging to getting all those delicious creations ready for their next stop after the winners are chosen.
Entries will be judged in seven categories: breads, muffins and rolls; cakes; cookies; pies, pastries and apple dumplings; miscellaneous; sugar-free; and youth (grade 8 and below).
Contestants may enter as many times as they like, so there’s no need to choose between Grandma’s apple pie and that new recipe you’ve been perfecting.
Entries must be delivered to Blue Ridge Community and Technical College at the Pines Opportunity Center, 109 War Memorial Drive in Berkeley Springs, between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 10. Judging begins at 12:15 p.m. and no entries will be accepted after 11 a.m. Winners will be recognized and ribbons awarded at 2 p.m. on the Apple Butter Festival Main Stage.
And the story doesn’t end when the ribbons are awarded.
Following judging, the entries are donated to the Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle. They sell the baked goods during the festival, turning all those pies, cakes, cookies and apple-filled creations into a fundraiser supporting programs for area youth.
“Some of the best recipes are the ones with a story behind them, the ones written on an old recipe card or learned by standing beside someone in the kitchen,” said Happy Rone, Executive Director of the Berkeley Springs-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce. “We love seeing those traditions carried on, along with all the wonderfully creative things people dream up. And knowing every entry goes on to help the Boys & Girls Club makes the whole contest even sweeter.”
Entry forms and complete contest rules are available at berkeleyspringschamber.com, Blue Ridge Community and Technical College, or the Berkeley Springs-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce office.
The 51st Annual Apple Butter Festival takes place October 9-11.
For more information, call the Berkeley Springs-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce at 304-258-3738, visit berkeleyspringschamber.com, or follow Apple Butter Festival WV on Facebook.
