49th annual Bayfield Apple Festival set for Oct 1, 2, 3, 2010 in Bayfield, WI

The historic streets of Bayfield will be lined with local orchard stands, fine art exhibitors, musicians, crafters, and festival food booths during the 49th annual Apple Festival on October 1, 2 & 3, 2010. Touted by Wisconsin Trails Magazine as Wisconsin's "Best" festival, Bayfield welcomes over 50,000 visitors throughout the weekend, who come to celebrate the bounty of the fall harvest and scenic beauty of the Bayfield Peninsula, the gateway to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

This year's festivities begin on Thursday, September 30th, with an Apple Pie and Dessert contest at the Bayfield Lakeside Pavilion. Test your culinary skills by entering your finest hand-crafted recipe or sample your own piece of "Bayfield apple" pie with cinnamon ice cream and coffee on the side, during the Community Pie Social. Everyone is invited to attend this event.

Come on Friday to beat the crowds and witness the "official opening proclamation" of the festival by Bayfield's own Mayor MacDonald, preceded by a special performance of the Bayfield High School Marching Band. Be sure to stick around for an electrifying performance by Big Top Chautauqua's Blue Canvas Orchestra at the Grandstand stage on Rittenhouse Avenue. This highly acclaimed, professional local troupe will be showcasing songs from their original historical musicals at the Grandstand stage throughout the weekend.

Take a stroll along "Orchard Lane" and you'll find yourself in apple heaven: Caramel apples, apple pies, apple tortes, dumplings or tarts, apple sundaes, apple cider, bags and bushels of apples - even apple bratwurst, mustard, and butter - it's all about the apples this weekend in Bayfield. Along with over 60 orchard and food booths, you'll find nearly 150 arts and crafts vendors throughout Bayfield's picturesque downtown and the lakeside Memorial Park. Parking is available on the festival grounds as well as at Hauser's Superior View Farm and Isle Vista Casino, who offer free shuttle transportation to and from the festival on Saturday and Sunday.

Children of all ages will be thrilled with a traditional carnival, complete with games and rides, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Kids can also join the Bayfield Chamber's Apple Dumpling Gang, which enters them in a drawing to win one of three $100 savings bonds and allows them to participate in the Grand Parade on Sunday afternon. Want to learn more about the history of the Apostle Islands area? Stop by the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore booth and hear about Ojibwe traditions and participate in activities designed to educate children about the rich cultural and natural history of Bayfield.

Plan your weekend to experience all the events that Apple Festival has to offer, including an apple peeling contest on Saturday afternoon, a glittering Venetian boat parade through the harbor on Saturday evening, and the weekend's grand finale - a hometown parade featuring over 60 entries and Bayfield's special "Mass Band" performance of On Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon. Visitors will also enjoy events at many of Bayfield's orchards, ongoing cruises of the Apostle Islands, live entertainment at local eateries and the Isle Vista Casino, and a traditional fish boil dinner on Saturday afternoon, followed by an evening dance, sponsored by the Bayfield Fire Department at the Lakeside Pavilion. Dowload a schedule of activities here.

Is Apple Festival not your style? This year, area lodging, restaurants, and attractions have heightened the incentive to come early in the autumn and stay late into October with Bayfield's new "Bounty of Fall" Celebration. Visitors can sign up to win a FREE weekend getaway, including two nights lodging, tickets for an unforgettable Apostle Islands cruise, a round of golf at the scenic Apostle Highlands Golf Course and a $100 gift certificate to sample sumptuous Fall-inspired dishes at area restaurants (some restrictions apply). To enter, go to Bayfield's "Bounty of Fall" Celebration page. In addition, guests can take advantage of the new Fall Harvest lodging package. Bayfield Apple Festival

When booking three consecutive nights, Monday - Thursday from September 22 to November 5 (except September 30), guests will receive 25 percent off the 3rd night, plus a free $25 gift certificate to spend in Bayfield during their stay. Combined with artisan-crafted fall menus at area restaurants, drawing on the fresh harvests of local orchards and fresh catches from the Lake, and fall-inspried "Hot Deals" for area retail shops and attractions, a fall-color getaway to Bayfield is hard to resist!