Apple Butter Makin' Days 2021
ABMD PLATINUM SPONSORS
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THE PREMIER EVENT IN SOUTHWEST MISSOURI
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Live Entertainment all weekend long!
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Craft and food booths around the Historic Square including Apple Butter
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Amazing wiener dog races in Spirit of '76 Park on Saturday
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FRIDAY EVENT SCHEDULE
SATURDAY EVENT SCHEDULE
We have cancelled for 2020, return in 2021.
We invite everyone to Stir the Pot and learn how apple butter is made on the historic Lawrence County Courthouse lawn. Featuring 450+ booths of handmade crafts, this event draws nearly 90,000 visitors each year. The faire style food supports Lawrence County non-profit organizations and offers a great variety for your taste buds. This free festival has been pleasing crowds for over 50 years and just keeps getting better. Bring your friends, bring your family and prepare yourself for the best Fall Festival experience on the scenic streets of Mt. Vernon, Missouri. Oct 11-13, 2019. Be There, On The Square!
We invite everyone to Stir the Pot and learn how apple butter is made on the historic Lawrence County Courthouse lawn. Featuring 450+ booths of handmade crafts, this event draws nearly 90,000 visitors each year. The faire style food supports Lawrence County non-profit organizations and offers a great variety for your taste buds. This free festival has been pleasing crowds for over 50 years and just keeps getting better. Bring your friends, bring your family and prepare yourself for the best Fall Festival experience on the scenic streets of Mt. Vernon, Missouri. Oct 11-13, 2019. Be There, On The Square!
SUNDAY EVENT SCHEDULE
2021 Apple Butter Makin' Days
Apple Butter Makin' Days, one of Missouri's most popular festivals, has been held on the courthouse square in Mt. Vernon each October since 1967. The main attraction is apple butter, cooked using century-old methods in huge copper kettles over open fires. That craft is demonstrated on the southeast corner of the courthouse lawn starting shortly after dawn and continuing until early to mid-afternoon each day of the festival.
The sale of apple butter has helped fund numerous charitable projects. While the cooking of apple butter is the prime attraction of Apple Butter Makin' Days, other activities compliment the event and provide entertainment and fun for those who attend. Some people still dress in costumes of the era.
The juried festival also includes games, food and entertainment for all ages. The festival draws an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 people for the three day weekend!
Contests
Contests are patterned after the fun of yesteryear and include such things as peddle tractor races and a terrapin race. Other activities that have been favorites for years include the Pet Parade, Bubble Gum Blowing Contest, Apple Pie eating contest, Mustache and Beard Growing Contest and Husband Calling. The crowing of the Apple Butter Queen and other fun games, you can be guaranteed to smile. And don't forget the Weiner Dog Races in Spirit of '76 park, they always draw a crowd.
Cooking on the Courthouse Lawn
Large copper kettles, many of which are over 100 years old, are placed on open fires hours before daybreak. Then, apples which are peeled the day before, are placed in the kettles along with water , and the mixture is stirred with long wooden paddles to prevent sticking and burning. Toward the end of the twelve-hour cooking time, sugar and spices are added to give the distinctive taste. In the mid-afternoon, the apple butter is ladled into jars and sealed.
Fun for the Kids!
Kids of all ages enjoy Apple Butter Makin' Days! The three-day schedule is designed to involve and entertain the youngsters. By the end of the festival the children will have had numerous opportunities to enter the contests and compete for the many prizes available. Nothing makes people smile more than watching the youngsters participate in the activities provided! All children enjoy the bubble gum blowing contest, terrapin race, pet parade, apple pie eating contest, etc. Plus the Kidzone has invited White Tiger Discovery area this year along with pony and camel rides for the kids. Don't miss it!
The Food
A wide variety of food is provided by local organizations and churches to make sure that none of the thousands of visitors arriving daily experience hunger pains! With all the choices available, the decision of what to eat becomes a difficult one! The best thing to do is to eat a little of everything!
Parade on Saturday Morning
One of the largest parades in the area is held on the Saturday of Apple Butter Makin' Days. The route takes us east on Sloan turning north on Hickory Street, then winding around the historic courthouse on the square, ending at Gibbs Park on the corner of Market and South Street. Floats, numerous bands, antique cars and horses fill the streets as children are mesmerized by the awe of it all. We start at 9 a.m. sharp so don't miss a minute of the fun.
Apple Butter Makin' Days, one of Missouri's most popular festivals, has been held on the courthouse square in Mt. Vernon each October since 1967. The main attraction is apple butter, cooked using century-old methods in huge copper kettles over open fires. That craft is demonstrated on the southeast corner of the courthouse lawn starting shortly after dawn and continuing until early to mid-afternoon each day of the festival.
The sale of apple butter has helped fund numerous charitable projects. While the cooking of apple butter is the prime attraction of Apple Butter Makin' Days, other activities compliment the event and provide entertainment and fun for those who attend. Some people still dress in costumes of the era.
The juried festival also includes games, food and entertainment for all ages. The festival draws an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 people for the three day weekend!
Contests
Contests are patterned after the fun of yesteryear and include such things as peddle tractor races and a terrapin race. Other activities that have been favorites for years include the Pet Parade, Bubble Gum Blowing Contest, Apple Pie eating contest, Mustache and Beard Growing Contest and Husband Calling. The crowing of the Apple Butter Queen and other fun games, you can be guaranteed to smile. And don't forget the Weiner Dog Races in Spirit of '76 park, they always draw a crowd.
Cooking on the Courthouse Lawn
Large copper kettles, many of which are over 100 years old, are placed on open fires hours before daybreak. Then, apples which are peeled the day before, are placed in the kettles along with water , and the mixture is stirred with long wooden paddles to prevent sticking and burning. Toward the end of the twelve-hour cooking time, sugar and spices are added to give the distinctive taste. In the mid-afternoon, the apple butter is ladled into jars and sealed.
Fun for the Kids!
Kids of all ages enjoy Apple Butter Makin' Days! The three-day schedule is designed to involve and entertain the youngsters. By the end of the festival the children will have had numerous opportunities to enter the contests and compete for the many prizes available. Nothing makes people smile more than watching the youngsters participate in the activities provided! All children enjoy the bubble gum blowing contest, terrapin race, pet parade, apple pie eating contest, etc. Plus the Kidzone has invited White Tiger Discovery area this year along with pony and camel rides for the kids. Don't miss it!
The Food
A wide variety of food is provided by local organizations and churches to make sure that none of the thousands of visitors arriving daily experience hunger pains! With all the choices available, the decision of what to eat becomes a difficult one! The best thing to do is to eat a little of everything!
Parade on Saturday Morning
One of the largest parades in the area is held on the Saturday of Apple Butter Makin' Days. The route takes us east on Sloan turning north on Hickory Street, then winding around the historic courthouse on the square, ending at Gibbs Park on the corner of Market and South Street. Floats, numerous bands, antique cars and horses fill the streets as children are mesmerized by the awe of it all. We start at 9 a.m. sharp so don't miss a minute of the fun.
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Entertainment
Be prepared to be entertained when you arrive at the Apple Butter Makin' Day festivities! Musical and dramatic entertainment abounds. A Saturday morning parade has always been a highlight of the festival. Not only will you see the Apple Butter Queen crowning, you will listen to country, folk, bluegrass, rock, blues and Christian singers sharing their favorite songs with you! Your foot will tap and your hands will clap in rhythm with the old time fiddle and folk music. We are planning some additional entertainment this year in celebration of our 51st Anniversary to kick off a new era of the festival.
Booth Rental
Over 400 booths of craftsmen from throughout the country traditionally set up booths featuring hand-crafted items, with many craftsmen demonstrating their work.
Booth spaces are available for hand-crafted items made by the exhibitor. We encourage people to demonstrate their craft at the booth. For information about whether your craft qualifies, rental and jury fees, etc., contact: Mount Vernon Area Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 373, Mount Vernon, MO 65712, (417) 466-7654, Booth spaces are limited, so be sure to contact us as early as possible!
Nearby RV Parks
We have some nearby offerings for those crafters and visitors that bring their own home on wheels. In Carthage contact Ballard's Campground 417-359-0359 or Coachlight RV Park 417-358-3666. Springfield offers the Route 66 KOA, 417-831-3645.
Be prepared to be entertained when you arrive at the Apple Butter Makin' Day festivities! Musical and dramatic entertainment abounds. A Saturday morning parade has always been a highlight of the festival. Not only will you see the Apple Butter Queen crowning, you will listen to country, folk, bluegrass, rock, blues and Christian singers sharing their favorite songs with you! Your foot will tap and your hands will clap in rhythm with the old time fiddle and folk music. We are planning some additional entertainment this year in celebration of our 51st Anniversary to kick off a new era of the festival.
Booth Rental
Over 400 booths of craftsmen from throughout the country traditionally set up booths featuring hand-crafted items, with many craftsmen demonstrating their work.
Booth spaces are available for hand-crafted items made by the exhibitor. We encourage people to demonstrate their craft at the booth. For information about whether your craft qualifies, rental and jury fees, etc., contact: Mount Vernon Area Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 373, Mount Vernon, MO 65712, (417) 466-7654, Booth spaces are limited, so be sure to contact us as early as possible!
Nearby RV Parks
We have some nearby offerings for those crafters and visitors that bring their own home on wheels. In Carthage contact Ballard's Campground 417-359-0359 or Coachlight RV Park 417-358-3666. Springfield offers the Route 66 KOA, 417-831-3645.
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