The free Sept. 26 festival brings music, crafts and historical demonstrations to a site where apples helped sustain an early Moravian community.
WS Chronicle | Staff Report
Apples had a place in Bethabara long before they became the centerpiece of a fall festival. For the Moravians who settled there in 1753, the fruit supplied food they could store and use well beyond harvest.
That history gives Historic Bethabara Park’s Apple Fest its local roots. The festival is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 2147 Bethabara Road in Winston-Salem. Admission is free.
The city’s festival listing includes live music, arts and crafts, children’s activities, historical demonstrations and food vendors. Food and craft purchases cost extra.
Behind the celebration is a practical story about feeding a growing community.
According to the city’s account of Bethabara’s apple history, settlers began planting seeds brought from Europe soon after arriving. Records cited by the city recommended six apple trees for each family member. Historic maps suggest orchards occupied an estimated five to eight acres.
The harvest had several uses. Apples could be dried, baked into pies or made into cider and vinegar. Moravian residents also built root cellars to keep fresh fruit longer. The city describes apples as one of Bethabara’s major products, possibly second to cattle.
Bethabara’s agricultural story is part of the larger history of how Winston-Salem developed. Founded in 1753, it was the first Moravian settlement in North Carolina and the first community built in the tract known as Wachovia, according to the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
By the end of 1756, the community included a gristmill, sawmill, tannery, pottery, distillery and other craft shops. Moravians began building Salem in 1766, and many of Bethabara’s industries later moved there.
The festival’s craft demonstrations connect with that history of making and growing what a community needed. Apples offer one familiar way into the story: a food that could be eaten fresh, put away for later or turned into something else.
Today, Historic Bethabara Park encompasses 183 acres, with historic buildings and grounds, walking and birding trails, and protected wetlands. It is a National Historic Landmark and a local historic district. Families attending Apple Fest can encounter that landscape alongside the day’s music, food and activities.
Event information and updates are available through Historic Bethabara Park’s calendar.