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| A crowd of more than 25,000 people is expected in Dover on Saturday, October 6, for the 28th Annual Apple Harvest Day (courtesy photo) |
DOVER –
The 28th Annual Apple Harvest Day will take place in Dover
on Saturday, October 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Seacoast’s premier fall
festival will feature more than 300 vendors, six entertainment stages, fabulous
food and amusements for the whole family.
The event, organized by the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce and
underwritten by Federal Savings Bank, brings more than 25,000 people to
downtown Dover every year on the first Saturday in October.
Festival attendees can expect all of the events and
activities from past years’ including the WOKQ Apple Pie Judging Contest, Apple
Harvest Day 5K Road Race and Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, and three new venues
this year: The Orchard Street Stage, Todd’s Touch Auto Alley and McConnell
Center Arts Pavilion.
The Bernson Legal, PLLC Orchard Street Stage, which will be
located next to The Dover Brickhouse, is sure to be the hot new music venue of
the festival featuring performances by The Mallett Brothers, Whiskey Kill Duo,
Eli Autry and other local musicians.
“I think the Orchard Street Stage is going to be a great
addition to the festival,” said Chris Serrecchia, co-owner of the Dover
Brickhouse. “We have a great band lineup planned that will attract people to
Orchard Street and expand Apple Harvest Day.”
The McConnell Center Arts Pavilion will transform Dover’s
community center into a local arts haven with artists, crafters and musicians
filling the lawn outside of the Center.
Although the McConnell Center lies outside of the traditional Apple
Harvest Day boundaries, many festival attendees park at the McConnell Center Lot
and are encouraged to stop at the Arts Pavilion on their way to other
festivities on Central Avenue and Henry Law Park.
The Todd’s Touch Auto Alley will take place on First Street
and will feature a collection of super-modified sports and muscle cars, in
addition to a monster truck on display.
Festival-goers will be allowed to take a close look at all of the
vehicles and pose for pictures with the monster truck.
“We are very excited about the three new venue additions
this year,” said Christine Goodwin of WB Mason, chair of the Apple Harvest Day
committee. “The stage on Orchard Street adds yet another fantastic music venue
to the event and the McConnell Center Arts Pavilion is a great opportunity to
showcase all of the wonderfully talented artists and crafters that call Dover
home. I think the Todd’s Touch Auto Alley will be a big hit with the kids.”
For the fourth straight year, the 5K Road Race will kick-off
Apple Harvest Day. The race begins
at 8:30 a.m. and will start and finish on River Street. The USTAF-certified
course winds through historic downtown Dover and is suitable for beginner
runners and walkers, as well as advanced racers. Registration for the 5K Road
Race is now open and can be done by visiting the Apple Harvest Day page at
www.dovernh.org. Racers are
encouraged to register early as the first 250 participants to signup receive a
free 2012 Apple Harvest Day 5K t-shirt. PainCare and Salmon Falls Family
Healthcare are the 5K Underwriter Sponsors along with Bernson Legal, PLLC and
Kennebunk Savings.
“Every year the road race continues to grow,” said Greater
Dover Chamber of Commerce Community events manager Michael Mengers. “Just a few years ago there were a few
hundred runners. Last year there
were nearly 700. We anticipate the
race will continues to grow as it gains notoriety around the Seacoast.”
Directly following the 5K Road Race at 9 a.m., the Apple
Harvest Day Opening Ceremonies featuring the Dover High School Marching Band,
will take place on the Comcast Community Stage in Henry Law Park. As usual, the
venue will be hosted by the WOKQ morning waking crew’s Mark Ericson. In
addition to hosting performances by the Garrison Players, Extreme Air of New
Hampshire and Sole City Dance, Ericson will also conduct the 27th Annual WOKQ
Apple Pie Contest at 11 a.m.
Additional entertainment stages will include the Ralph’s
House of Tone North End Stage hosted by 98.7FM The Bay in the Ross Furniture
parking lot on Third Street, the Urban Tree Service Songwriter Stage hosted by
The Shark 105.3FM in Waldron Court and the Cocheco Arts & Technology
Academy Stage in the Cocheco Courtyard.
Much to the delight of young festival attendees, the Service
Credit Union KidZone will be back in Lower Henry Law Park with over a dozen
inflatable amusements. Henry Law Park will also feature the Profile Bank
Roaming Train, Dover Auto World Traveling Barnyard and Public Service of New
Hampshire Pony Rides.
Henry Law Park will also be the location of Apple Harvest
Day’s largest food court, which will be complete with traditional carnival
foods, as well as seasonal favorites like candy apples and caramel popcorn. An
additional food court will be located in the Ross Furniture parking lot. Early
risers can attend the Kiwanis pancake breakfast on Orchard Street from 8:30 to 10:30
a.m.
Festival attendees may park at the Dover Library on Locust
Street and the Dover Transportation Center on Chestnut Street. Both lots will
be serviced by the Apple Harvest Day Shuttle provided by Maple Suites, which
will drop passengers off in the heart of the festival at Henry Law Park and at
the Janatos Parking Lot. The Janetos parking lot will also be the originating
point for free wagon hayrides provided by Dover Main Street.
For up to date information on Apple Harvest Day visit www.dovernh.org,
www.facebook.com/doverappleharvest or call the Greater Dover Chamber of
Commerce at 603-742-2218.
