Apple Butter, Handmade Crafts and Fall Fun Await in Kimmswick
The Apple Butter Festival returns October 24–25 with hundreds of vendors, 40 food vendors, live music and a tradition visitors can help stir.
By The Jefferson Review
The smell of apple butter cooking, barbecue sizzling and festival food filling the streets will welcome visitors to Kimmswick later this month as the historic river town prepares for its Apple Butter Festival.
Scheduled for Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, the festival will bring together shopping, live music, family activities and the apple butter tradition at the heart of the weekend. Admission is free, with paid parking available.
For Mayor Ken Kraft and his wife, events coordinator Jennifer Kraft, the appeal comes from everything working together: the vendors, the food, the historic storefronts and the town’s setting along the Mississippi River.
“Every area has its own smell,” Ken said, describing the mix of food aromas visitors encounter as they explore.
A Tradition You Can Watch and Help Stir
While there will be plenty to browse and eat, the festival’s namesake remains a must-see attraction.
The Kimmswick Historical Society prepares and makes apple butter at the Apple Butter Pavilion at Market and Fourth streets, giving visitors an opportunity to watch the process firsthand.
The work begins well before festival crowds arrive. According to Ken, volunteers spend Thursday and Friday preparing, including hand-peeling apples, before cooking begins Saturday.
Once the apple butter is cooking, it requires continued stirring to keep it from scorching. Visitors may even get an opportunity to lend a hand.
“They’ll find a kid and let them help out, or even an adult,” Ken said. “I’ve seen grown adults very, very happy to do it.”
For families, it is a chance to experience the work behind a fall favorite—and take part in a tradition that gives the festival its identity.
Hundreds of Vendors and Plenty to Eat
At the time of the interview, Jennifer said 287 vendors were lined up for the festival. Organizers described roughly 700 booth spaces altogether, with some vendors occupying multiple spaces.
Shoppers can expect a mix of handmade wooden crafts, paintings, jewelry, seasonal merchandise and other offerings. Jennifer said she looks for apple-themed crafts and jewelry to help carry the festival’s theme throughout town.
Ken also highlighted vendors who bring their creativity into the shopping experience, including artists who customize hats on-site and makers offering distinctive handcrafted products.
Food will be a major part of the weekend, with 40 food vendors expected. Jennifer described a selection that includes barbecue, Hawaiian food, burgers, blooming onions and Thai food.
Whether visitors arrive ready for lunch or plan to snack their way through town, there should be plenty of choices.
Music and Family Attractions
Live music will add to the atmosphere, while activities for younger visitors will include face painters spread throughout town, bubble vendors and baby kangaroos at the park.
Jennifer said organizers are also working to provide more seating so visitors can take a break between shopping, eating and exploring.
The mayor encouraged festival goers to pause long enough to enjoy the atmosphere instead of spending the entire visit moving from booth to booth.
“I would say definitely stand around and enjoy the music for a few minutes,” Ken said.
Visitors can also make time to explore the riverfront, a part of Kimmswick that Ken said some people overlook.
A Weekend That Helps Sustain the Town
Beyond the crowds and fall festivities, the Apple Butter Festival plays an important financial role in Kimmswick.
Ken estimated that the festival accounts for about 40 percent of the city’s annual operating budget, with taxes and the Strawberry Festival among its other revenue sources.
For local businesses, the busy fall season also helps carry them through quieter winter months. Ken said activity typically slows from the end of December into February, making the year’s closing stretch especially important for shops and restaurants.
A festival visit offers an opportunity to explore those permanent businesses alongside the weekend’s vendors.
Plan Ahead and Arrive Early
The organizers’ clearest advice: come early and allow extra time for parking and getting into town.
Jennifer said crowds become particularly heavy between approximately 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Arriving near the 10 a.m. opening may make getting in and moving around easier.
Parking at the baseball field along Highway K will cost $10. Organizers also said parking will be available at Windsor School, with shuttle buses transporting visitors. They expected school parking to cost $10 as well, although that price was not confirmed during the interview. Ken said the school parking proceeds support athletic groups.
Once visitors arrive, the organizers hope they will settle in, enjoy the food and music, and spend time together.
With apple butter cooking at the pavilion and a town full of things to discover, Kimmswick is preparing to give families and friends a full weekend of fall tradition.
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