Families welcome fall at Jackson’s Orchard AppleFest
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WNKY) — Families gathered at Jackson’s Orchard for AppleFest, using the Labor Day weekend event as an early start to fall.
For Lainey Carvajal and her family, it was their first visit to the orchard. They came from Tennessee while visiting relatives in the area.
Ready for fall
Carvajal said her family has been looking forward to the change in seasons.
“We’ve been counting down. It’s definitely one of the best parts of the year. Getting to go to the pumpkin patches and all the fall festivals. It feels like it’s the best time to grow and bond as a family and make those memories,” she said.
Cooler weather is a big part of the appeal.
“I think mostly getting outside, seeing those leaves change, spending some time on the trails, and especially going to the pumpkin patch with him being a little older. I think it’s going to be a really fun year,” Carvajal said.
Asked what comes to mind when she thinks about fall, she mentioned apple cider, pumpkins and cooler weather.
Apple season begins
Jackson’s Orchard co-owner Jonathan Price said AppleFest marks the start of both apple season and the fall season.
He said Saturday drew a good crowd despite the heat, though attendance slowed later in the day. Sunday and Monday brought more comfortable conditions and strong turnout.
The fall season takes months of preparation. Price said apple trees are pruned through the winter, bloom in the spring and are carried through the summer until the crop reaches maturity.
A family tradition
Price said he hopes visitors see the orchard as more than a one-time stop.
“We hope that it’s it’s an experience that that they enjoy each year. That they come and, and make memories and bring their kids back and their grandkids back and, and make it a generational and a generational event,” he said.
He also said the orchard gives visitors a chance to connect with where some of their food comes from.
Carvajal’s idea of a perfect fall day was simple: time outside with family and fewer distractions.
“I really think it would look like today. Maybe a little bit cooler. We could drop the temperature maybe like 15 degrees. It’d be great, but just being together phones off for away, not worried about anything, being outside and soaking up this quality time,” she said.
