Jenny Hua ‘27
EE Staff Writer
With autumn here, apples are now in season! For Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church in Monroe, this means that it’s time for the Apple Festival. Every year, over one hundred craft vendors from across the Northeast come to the Monroe Green to sell anything from honey to jewelry to home decor. This year, the event was held on September 7th and 8th, attracting hundreds of festival goers to participate in the various activities offered.
In addition to craft vendors, members of the church prepared a variety of foods, many of which included apples, true to the festival’s name. Apple pies, caramel apples, and a selection of fresh apples were for sale, but the largest attraction by far was the apple crisp. Trays upon trays of the popular dessert were prepared in order to accommodate for the line that almost stretched out of the festival. At the snack bar nearby, church members cooked delicious burgers, fries, and chicken tenders for lunch, which many people complemented with a jumbo bag of popcorn from the neighboring kettle corn stand.
For the children, two bouncy houses were set up across the street, charging $5 for a full day of fun. While they were forced to close due to rain on the first day, kids really enjoyed the bouncy houses on Sunday, returning many times to play as their parents shopped at vendors’ tents. A mini petting zoo with two goats was also opened, drawing dozens of people to see the cute animals.
Most importantly, this event could not have been run without its 20+ volunteers, including many Trumbull High students. Some served food at the snack bar or apple crisp tents, while others took orders from vendors who couldn’t leave their tents.
“All of the vendors were really nice and it was a very fulfilling experience,” said sophomore Kritika Panthangi, who worked at the snack bar. “The food was really good, and it was really fun”.
Over at the bouncy houses, there were also volunteers ensuring that the attraction was safe and the kids were having fun. Sophomore Anna Li, who spent her time monitoring a bouncy house, reflected on her experience and shared that she “really enjoyed volunteering, especially knowing that [she] made someone’s day.”
I volunteered at a bouncy house, too, timing each turn and supervising the line. It was definitely rewarding to see the smiles on the kids’ faces and feel their excitement as they hopped back in line to jump again.
The staff were also very kind and accommodating. Special thanks to the volunteer coordinator, Jennifer Read, who provided great guidance for the volunteers and helped to make the Apple Festival a success.
Next year, the festival will be held on Saturday, September 13th and Sunday, September 14th. Everyone is welcome to come browse the vendors’ tents, volunteer, or enjoy the snack bar’s delicious food and apple treats from the church. See you next year!
Photos courtesy of St. Peter’s Grace Episcopal Church