Hilton Apple Festival

"There's something about Hilton," David said as he marvelled at the multitude of people converging in Hilton, New York one morning.

"Maybe it's Paris," I told him with a broad smile. Of course, he didn't get it at first. But if he has only seen how Paris Hilton gobbled down Rick Salomon's ginormous cucumber, nah, it's a butternut squash, I am sure he will be amazed.

On a quaint day, we visited Hilton to witness the annual Hilton Apple Festival. It is one way, David said, of helping the economy - spending gas by driving out to a far off place.

There's a bat outside your house!

Apple cider, pumpkins and more!

Did that lady just swallowed an Italian sausage whole? Look at her expression.

A smart business.

They get prizes after fishing out an apple or two (most yard sale items, but parents and kids don't mind)

Shout it out girl!

Oops, there goes your inheritance.

I think somebody is going to revise their will.

This is from the village's Web site:

History of the Apple Festival:

The Festival was founded in 1981 by Hilton Businessmen Patrick Marlow and Douglas Marple. Homer Marple of Marple Furniture, financed the Festival in its first year when it was organized by Coordinator, Carol Gursslin with just a handful of volunteers. It was held at Canning Street Square. And yes, there really was a pie the first year! We had approximately 75 craft booths and five food booths.

The purpose of the Festival was to offer free family entertainment while celebrating the apple harvest season, the Hilton/Parma community, and the local apple growers. Artists were given a showplace for their handcrafted goods and nonprofit groups of the Hilton Central School District raised funds by selling food.

In 1982, Carol Gursslin was once again the Coordinator but there were about 200 volunteers and it was held at the Hilton Community Center. Many local businesses provided finances the first five or six years. Organizers brought world attention to the Hilton area when they attempted to bake the World's Largest Apple Pie. Guinness World Book publishers gave the recognition to English townspeople who, one month earlier, had baked an apple pie in a larger rectangular pan. In an effort to show the British their sense of humor, Festival planners the next year baked the World's Smallest Apple Pie in a bottle cap.

The Apple Fest currently has approximately 200 craft booths and 24 food booths. Attendance reaches close to 70,000 people, most of which ride the shuttle bus to the Community Center. One of the reasons for its success is the help it receives from its approximately 300 volunteers. The Hilton Apple Fest donates an average of $5,000 per year of which some of the recipients have been Ambulance Corps, Library, Village parks, Food Shelf, Camp Good Days and Special Times, Historical Society, Hilton Senior Bash, Braddock Bay Raptor Research, and other Community Center projects.