BARRY, Ill. (WGEM) – Apples, pies and rides… Oh my! is the theme of the 52nd Annual Barry Apple Festival, a fall tradition in Pike County. Hundreds, if not thousands of visitors stopped at Barry’s Lafayette Park to enjoy the fall festivities.
Sylvia Smith, who was from Pittsfield, was among the sea of people there to watch the parade on Saturday
“I’m here with my family and one of my best friends,” Smith said.
Smith said she’s been coming to the Apple Festival since she was a kid.
“He’s gotten a lot more popular over the years,” Smith said. “I saw a lot more people. I’m glad a lot of the rides are the same.
And it wouldn’t be an apple party without apples.
Liberty FFA, a group of young farmers, sold them to raise funds for their annual needs.
“We’re fundraising for different things that we’ll need throughout the year,” Liberty FFA member Taylor Crow said.
Her colleague, Raeleigh Wolf, said the money would help them organize trips and competitions throughout the year.
“Business has been on and off,” Wolf said. “We had a few clients here and there.”
Local businesses said they had to work very hard during the Apple Festival; however, it pays off.
“I always say there’s a thousand every year,” said Kerry Henson, owner of Barry Thrift Shop. “But everyone says there’s more than that that comes through that door.”
His wife and co-owner Peggy Henson said they’ve run the store for 18 years and the Apple Festival benefits their business every year.
“A lot of them will come back about a week later to find out more,” Henson said.
The Apple Festival continues through Sunday, beginning with a 7 a.m. breakfast hosted by the American Legion and a car show.
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