On Saturday, October 16th, 2021 (rain date Oct. 17), the Westfield Historical Society will hold the Annual AppleFest on the lawn of the Reeve House, 314 Mountain Ave., Westfield from 12:00-4:00pm. On the same weekend, the Westfield Historical Society will also host Union County’s Four Centuries in a Weekend Open House at the Reeve House.
Now in its 13th year, AppleFest is an annual fund-raising event, hosted on the lawn of the Reeve House on Mountain Avenue, and it draws visitors of all ages who participate in activities centered around a “theme” that celebrates a particular historical time, past or present. The theme this year will focus on the Downtown Trolley, operating in the early 1900’s and connecting a few of the local towns (Piscataway, Dunellen, Scotch Plains, Westfield, Roselle, Rahway, Woodbridge). This AppleFest theme is aimed to align with the Westfield green-team’s focus on alternative transportation, highlighted by a family-friendly bike tour around town and an e-car show. Both of these events are planned for early fall.
As always, younger children visiting AppleFest will enjoy participating in old-fashioned outdoor games, a treasure hunt and pumpkin painting while their parents can enjoy learning about the downtown trolley through a short “Lightning talk” and other visual exhibits. Westfield-native “Save Mary Band” will entertain with favorite tunes from the last four decades. The celebrated Apple Café will feature new selections by chef Greg Hichok.
Upholding another long-standing tradition, AppleFest 2021 will sponsor an art contest for elementary and middle school students, drawing on the theme of “Alternative Means of Transportation”. The apple pie contest is coming back this year and will be fierce! Please stay tuned for details. Westfield does not have a downtown trolley any more but visitors are encouraged to consider coming to the Reeve House on bicycles, tricycles, unicycles, wagons, strollers, roller skates, skateboards, long boards, scooters, a horse-drawn carriage or any other “green” transportation.
Admission is $5 per person, and free for veterans and children under 3 years old. The AppleFest committee is grateful for all the sponsors who support this event, and all Westfielders for their commitment to this town, its past and its future. The Westfield Historical Society’s AppleFest Committee looks forward to seeing many families on October 16.
AppleFest is open to all members of the community, but reservations are encouraged. All who are interested in attending should please make reservations with the Westfield Historical Society at 908-654-1794, or by email to westfieldhistoricalsociety@gmail.com. The Society, acting in good faith, welcomes all eligible vaccinated visitors to attend our outdoor events without masks and would encourage non-vaccinated visitors to wear a mask. Masks are required indoors for tours. Of course, State and federal guidelines will be closely followed and, if needed, plans will be adjusted accordingly.
