Apple’n Arts Festival organizers will present a scaled-down version of the annual fall event after being asked by Delmont council members to offer a proposal for 2021.
“We haven’t yet sent out applications for vendors,” organizing committee member Brandy Walters said. “What we’re hearing is that a lot of craft vendors have closed up shop because of covid, so we don’t know how many are really available.”
Typically, Walters said, the festival has about 180 vendors. In 2019, that number was down to about 120, and Walters said she expects it will be fewer this year.
“We won’t be having the apple bake contest, no petting zoo, no face-painting,” she said, a nod to ongoing health and safety concerns. One of the festival’s big unknowns is what precisely will be required of organizers in terms of covid-19 restrictions come October.
“If it’s something we can comply with, we’ll comply with it,” she said. “If it’s something that’s too overwhelming for us to handle, we’ll have to cancel.”
The other big issue is whether or not festival organizers will run buses to shuttle attendees from Steel City Raceway to the festival grounds at Shields Farm.
“We’re hoping to raise funds and reach out to some sponsors to try and help pay for busing,” Walters said. “Hopefully we can get enough sponsorships to cover the cost of at least two buses.”
Delmont Police Chief T.J. Klobucar said his department will work with festival organizers to keep things running as smoothly as possible.
“We’re constantly monitoring the traffic situation,” Klobucar said. “We’re able to watch it from the command post, and see the intersections right from the farm.”
If shuttle buses are not available, Klobucar said that will make things considerably more difficult, especially with festival traffic prone to stacking up throughout the borough.
“If we don’t have buses, we’ll have to coordinate so that if we have EMS responding to a location, we can get them in and out,” he said. “I don’t want the committee to think I’m totally against this if we don’t have buses. But I have to answer to the community. I don’t know if it will be a problem, but it’s something we’ll have to prepare for.”
Walters said she will continue to update council on the festival planning.
“Once we get sponsorships and see where we are, we can come back to council with a more developed plan,” she said.
At present, the 2021 Apple’n Arts Festival is set for Oct. 2-3 at the Shields Farm in Delmont.
For the latest, see DelmontApplenArts.com.
