North Carolina Apple Festival draws crowds despite rainy weather

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- North Carolina is dubbed as "apple country."

The state is the 7th largest apple-producing state in the nation, according to the North Carolina Apple Festival.

The 78th annual festival, held over Labor Day weekend, is hosted by Henderson County. According to ABC affiliate WLOS, it's fitting as the county is responsible for 80% of the state's crop.

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"We're going to get 200,000-plus people out here over the weekend," Terry Kelly, the director of the Henderson County Cooperative Extension, told WLOS.

Most festival attendees will visit roadside stands to purchase locally grown apples, Kelly said.

Although the numbers are not yet finalized, WLOS reported, festival officials expect total crowds to be as big as they were in 2023 despite the wet weekend weather.

The festival is from Friday, August 30 to Monday, September 2.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The featured video is from the story 'NC farmers struggle with extreme weather, urge congressional action for relief', not the NC Apple Festival.