Saturday, September 17th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. is the Rodale Institute’s 3rd Annual Organic Apple Festival, where you can pick your own organic apples right from the tree AND eat an organic hotdog cooked by me. On the grill.
It’s rain or shine, too.
Last year the weather was perfect, and I ran out of hotdogs by 12:30—it was out of control! This year, thanks to the extreme generosity of the fabulous folks at Applegate Farms, we have received a donation of four times the number of hotdogs we got last year, so I have every hope that we will not run out.
I’ll also be making apple cider ice cream floats and maple creamies—all organic, of course! For this year’s festival, we also got a great donation from Alden’s Ice Cream for the floats and creamies, so all the money you spend at the festival will go directly to supporting the Rodale Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to pioneering organic farming through research and outreach.
In addition, this year there will be even more food vendors. I have heard rumors that there are going to be organic caramel apples and—OMG—organic apple cotton candy! Plus, there will be lots of fun activities for kids, including my all-time favorite, the Rotten Apple Rocket, which if I didn’t have to cook hotdogs and there weren’t constantly cute little kids standing in line to do it, I would be shooting rotten apple rockets all day.
I really enjoy manning the grill and meeting so many new people and seeing old friends. I love it when I can make someone’s first-ever organic hotdog and see the happy smiles and thumbs-ups (it’s always the old men who are most suspicious at first and the most impressed and supportive once they’ve tried them—which makes me believe that we CAN change the world one hotdog at a time). I can even make vegan dogs on the grill for those who choose that path—although I STILL can’t find an organic vegan hotdog, which, with GMOs so prevalent in soy products, just seems like a crime. I would like to not serve them on principle, but I’ve had tears of joy from the vegetarians in the past, so I can’t let them down.
PLUS, there will be lots of Goodies and Giveaways from our friends at Whole Foods, Organic Valley, and Uncle Matt’s Organic. And four live bands plus two radio stations (but not all playing music at the same time). It’s going to be tons of fun, and if you come down say hello to me, it will make me very happy—though I’ll have to be concentrating on not burning the hotdogs too much. ‘Cause you know I like mine burnt, but I can only eat so many….
I hope to see you there!
Oh Maria! I wish I would have known sooner, we’d love to come…I’m putting it on the calendar for next year. Have a great time!
Your “hard sell” is irresistible! I read that there’s also going to be Apple City pork bbq , which is really delicious. See you there!
Hi:
You didn’t put Maria’s Farm Address on the invitation?Where is it?
l live in San Clemente,Ca.
Thanks,
Lynette Mayo
If it’s not here, are there any others not to very far from me?
It was a really enjoyable autumn event! Accolades to all who were involved in making it happen.
Wonderful festival. You did a great job with the hot dogs. I picked 1/2 bushel of good organic apples and a bag of organic whole wheat pastry flour. When I got home, I made up some applesauce to use in muffins to take to a party Saturday night. That flour is really good. Thanks.