The week before Apple Harvest Festival, a mummer can be heard over Cornell’s campus. In reality, it’s 15,000 different students’ stomachs rumbling in anticipation of apple cider, candied apples and apple cider donuts.
In my not-so-unpopular opinion, Apple Fest weekend is the best weekend at Cornell. This year, it fell just before our heavily anticipated Homecoming Weekend — perfectly kicking off the fall season on its opening day, Friday, Sept. 26. Everyone dons their favorite warm sweater and heads out into the chilly Ithaca air to walk the streets of The Commons, enjoying the small-town feel Ithaca vendors are happy to provide. As a member of this sweater-wearing, apple cider-drinking class, Apple Fest is my Christmas. Who needs presents when you can hear the Gilmore Girls’ theme song fluttering between the tree-lined streets?
There’s a charm to Ithaca this weekend that can’t be recreated. Once a year, we forget about the irreparable damage our first prelim has done to our overall grade (and our psyche) and pretend we're in an elevated Hallmark movie.
This year, Apple Fest came with less of a chilling breeze and felt more like a nice summer day. Although the backdrop for the event was a clear blue sky, the energy and buzz from the various vendors and apple-enjoyers was the same as always. The town of Ithaca — along with Cornell University, Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community College students — filled the streets of downtown Ithaca to enjoy the apple treats, live music and artistry of this fall fest weekend.
As I explored the booths with apple pies, apple fritters, apple crisps and apple dumplings, I reveled in this once-a-year experience. Almost everything sold is fresh and made locally. This homemade feel only ripens the experience. Whether interested in food or art, it’s clear that care and passion were put into the creation of it all. Including the event itself, which feels just as comforting and warm as the Harvest Festival seen in Gilmore Girls.
For $1 an apple, everything seems possible again. Prelims seem far away when drinking apple cider under canopying trees, surrounded by the local community. Apple Fest is a great mid-semester reminder that being at Cornell can be a lot of fun. It’s a much-needed break that feels perfectly placed between the first exam season and Fall Break. A mini reprieve full of locally made treats? Once again, my Christmas.
Of course, Apple Fest is a great place to go with friends and family. I know some students have parents visiting this weekend to experience the warmth and welcoming atmosphere that Apple Fest radiates. Looking at all the handmade jewelry and marveling over the artistry, Apple Fest is about more than apples; it's an event that fosters community and connection. (And provides the chance to see the cutest dogs!)
If apples are not your thing, don’t worry. One of the streets at Apple Fest is lined with food trucks and stands offering a diverse range of cuisines, from Jamaican to Greek, as well as wood-fired pizza. There’s truly something for everyone.
There’s so much to explore that it’s more than reasonable to spend hours wandering between book stands and the Witches Brew, with the very gloomy and mysterious fog getting everyone into the fall spirit, through artisan booths with vendors who specialize in painting landscapes, as well as jewelers who mold metal into pocket watches, rings and lockets.
The soundtrack of the day is all of the student performances, whether brought to you by musicians or dancers; the music fills the commons, drawing crowds to the stage. I admit as a music lover, I’m as susceptible as anyone else. So of course, I wandered over to the stage and watched some fantastic performances. Apple Fest is as well-crafted and intentional as an apple pie itself, and watching everyone from everywhere come together to enjoy the best weekend in Ithaca amidst the falling leaves is magical and wondrous.
So, if you need an excuse to dust off your tote bag and bring out your boots to enjoy a fun day of fall, be sure to stop by Apple Fest. And if you missed it this time around, be sure to stop by next fall. Whether you are in need of a sip of apple cider (hot or cold), want something to eat or need a cute new piece of jewelry, there's a booth downtown for you.
Vanessa Long is a sophomore in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She can be reached at vvl22@cornell.edu.
