Outstanding Weather Contributes to Apple Fest's Success

For decades, people from Monroe and its surrounding towns have looked forward to St. Peter Episcopal Church's annual Apple Festival. Samantha Delgiudice, 7, who was baptized at the church located alongside the Town Green, and now lives in Newtown, couldn't wait to sample some of the tasty apple treats offered each year.

Though she chose to consume an over-sized caramel-covered apple, her older sister Brianna, 13, opted for the fried Oreos, which Apple Festival organizers placed on its menu for the first time this year. "I really liked them," Brianna said.

Despite having a loose front tooth, Samantha also enjoyed tackling her candied apple. Apple-related sweets — muffins, cookies, breads, apple butter and jams — were on display at the Festival's Country Kitchen booth.

"We've been coming for years," said the girls' mother, Felicia.

The Delgiudice family was present at the Apple Festival when church bells rang at 1 p.m. to commemorate the tragic events that took place 10 years ago on Sept. 11, 2001. After a moment of silence, The Rev. Kurt J. Huber, rector at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, said a prayer of remembrance for those who perished. He also asked that "we remember how we came together and supported one another in our time of need." 

Nancy Johnson, chairman of the Apple Festival's Raffle, said she didn't feel the 10th Anniversary of Sept. 11, 2011 affected attendance at the Festival. "I think people are out today with their families," she said. "We purchased 24 dozen small American flags to hand out to people today."

Johnson said she, along with the core group of about 30 festival committee members, were "grateful" for the sunny skies that prevailed on both Saturday and Sunday. "We've had absolutely beautiful weather," she noted.

Mark Dubail, a volunteer whose job was to do anything that was needed during the two-day event, agreed that the stellar weather contributed to high attendance. "We've had hundreds of people steadily coming through," he said. "The snack bar is doing an incredible business and people seem to be enjoying themselves."

Like Brianna, Dubail loved eating the Fried Oreos. He also thought the newly offered Fried Twinkies were "Delicious!"

Lauren Johnson, Nancy's daughter, and volunteer at the Raffle booth, said Sunday's chili was "really good."

Raffle prizes included a handmade quilt sewn by Bonnie Harrington, one of the crafters at the Apple Festival. There were also University of Connecticut sports tickets, Sound Tiger tickets, an iPod, a weekend vacation to Cape Cod, and a Nintendo game system.

As in previous years, the Town Green was filled with artisans and craftsman displaying a variety of wares, such as glass animals, American Girl Doll clothing and accessories, stained glass window ornaments, quilt pocketbooks, jewelry, knitted outerwear, pottery and candles.

Sponsored by St. Peter's Episcopal Church, a tent called Apple Central offered apple-related paraphernalia. Items available for purchase included pot holders, hats, and cookbooks. Julianna and Sara Charity, 15-year-old twins from Monroe, joined their mother Lisa in helping customers throughout the weekend. They liked volunteering, they said, because it all goes to the church.

Two inflatables were set up in front of Monroe's Gazebo for children to enjoy. There were also several games and prizes available. Music Together, a local business that offers age-appropriate music education classes, welcomed youngsters to explore instruments and listen to song selections.