Apple butter lovers, mark your calendars for Grace Presbyterian Church’s annual fall festival.
The festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, at the church, 105 Bailey Road in Crystal City.
Chris Gladden, the fall festival committee chair, said church members use a decades-old recipe to make the church’s famous slow-cooked apple butter.
“It’s kettle cooked over an open fire out in the church yard, and we can it all up,” Gladden said.
Gladden said the apple butter at last year’s fall festival was so popular that it sold out in less than an hour. She said they have doubled the amount of apple butter they are making this year to meet the high demand.
“I think it’ll be somewhere in the vicinity of 500 pint jars,” she said.
In addition to apple butter, Gladden said other tasty foods, such as baked goods, barbecue and sides will also be available for purchase.
Gladden said the festival is a family- and pet-friendly event. She said there will be several offerings for children, including kids’ pumpkin crafts and a bounce house. Pastor Jeff Buck will be offering a blessing of animals every hour for those wishing to have their furry friends blessed.
Other entertainment includes music, a performance by a gymnastic group, craft vendors and a “trash to treasures” rummage sale.
Gladden said the fall festival has been a tradition at Grace Presbyterian Church for many decades. She said there were a few years when the fall festival did not take place after the ladies’ group at the church that organized the fall festival disbanded. This year will mark the second festival since the event’s return.
“A few years back, we decided to get the ladies’ group back going again. Some of us had retired and were more able to take it on as opposed to trying to squeeze it in while we were working,” she said. “We decided to do the fall festival again, and it was a big success so we’re doing it again. Everybody seems to be really happy that it’s back.”
Gladden said a cookbook of more than 300 recipes, along with a newly updated history book written by church member Stephen Huss, will be available for purchase at the festival. They will also be holding a raffle for handmade quilts.
“Several of the ladies do quilting, so this year we have two quilts that we’re raffling off, a full-size quilt and a baby quilt. Our quilting is hand-stitched. It’s not machine-quilted,” Gladden said.
Raffle tickets are $3 each or 5 for $10. Proceeds from sales of the books and raffle will go to Grace Presbyterian Church.
Gladden said proceeds from the fall festival have often been used to make improvements at the church. Funds from last year’s event were used to have new flooring professionally installed in the fellowship hall. In preparation for their 100th anniversary earlier this year, the church also made other renovations, such as painting, installing new ceiling tiles and updating lighting.
Gladden said the church has no specific plans for the proceeds of this year’s festival, but she anticipates that it won’t be long before the funds are needed.
“When you have an over 100-year-old building, we always have something that needs to be repaired. We always like to have some funds available for when something comes up.”
Gladden said the public is invited to enjoy the large park area on the church grounds during the festival.
“We just want everybody to come and enjoy the music that is going to be playing and browse around, and if they find something they like, then that’s wonderful. We want it to be a community event where people can come and enjoy their time in the park.”
Gladden said the church is still accepting additional vendors to participate in the fall festival. For more information, contact Gladden at 314-277-5998.