11 BEST Apple Butter Festivals in Ohio
With the arrival of fall comes sweater weather, changing leaves, pumpkin spice, hot apple cider, and last but not least — apple butter!
Ohio has some fantastic fall festivals in celebration of the beloved fruit. One of the largest is the Applebutter Fest in Grand Rapids, but there are so many other great apple butter festivals in Ohio.
We’ve compiled a list of the top apple butter festivals in Ohio and organized them by date so that you can easily plan your Ohio fall road trip, complete with an endless supply of apple butter!
September Apple Butter Festivals in Ohio
Hidden Valley Orchards Apple Festivals
5474 OH-48, Lebanon, OH 45036
Hidden Valley Orchards has not one, but three apple festivals! This Ohio farm has provided locally grown produce and hosted fun community events for more than 60 years.
The apple festivals kick off with the Apple Cider Festival in early September, when visitors can delight in all things apple cider, including apple cider doughnuts, hot or cold apple cider, slushies, and for adults, the orchard’s own brand of hard apple cider.
In late September, HVO hosts the Apple Festival, and in early October, it hosts the Caramel Apple Festival! At the Caramel Apple Festival, a station will be set up for visitors to grab an apple with chocolate or caramel sauce and add their choice of delicious toppings.
Hartford Apple Festival Horticultural Show
Route 7 & Route 305, Hartford, OH 44424
The small town of Hartford becomes apple central in mid-September. This Ohio apple festival features a parade, a 5K run and 1-mile walk, live music, and contests for pie baking, LEGO art, canned hot peppers, and children’s coloring.
If you wear something from a previous Hartford Apple Festival during the 5K/1-mile walk, you can be entered to win a prize!
Held just outside the festival grounds at the Hartford United Methodist Church is the Apple Festival Car Show, featuring unique and classic cars with prizes for event favorites, food and drinks, and a DJ.
AppleFest
115 N Spring St, New Paris, OH 45347
Head to the Indiana-Ohio border in early to mid-September for the New Paris AppleFest! This Northwest Ohio apple butter festival takes over the small town with three days of a fun street fair.
You can purchase homemade and handcrafted goods and more from various vendors, check out tractor and car shows, and ride the zip line. Also, kids can participate in a Kiddie Tractor Pull.
Of course, there will be plenty of apple-related foods to eat and other foods too, including the option to have a drink or two at the wine and beer garden. If you love to bake, try your hand at the apple baking contest. Don’t miss the fireworks show on Saturday night, though!
Country AppleFest
665 N Broadway St, Lebanon, OH 45036
This two-day arts and crafts festival in late September at the Warren County Fairgrounds features 300 food and arts vendors and plenty of live entertainment.
The festival requires that all booths offer something apple-related. So, foodies can delight in fudge-covered apples, caramel apples, apple pies, apple fritters, and apple dumplings. Plus, there’s Southern BBQ, kettle corn, brats, and much more!
Festivalgoers under age 12 attend for free. Parking is free too, and the festival is wheelchair accessible.
Jackson Apple Festival
Downtown Jackson, OH 45640
Near the end of September, the Jackson Apple Festival takes over downtown Jackson. It began in the spring of 1937 when the Jackson Chamber of Commerce members wished to create an important yet fun fall community event revolving around apples.
Today, the multi-day event is a much-loved town favorite that attracts thousands of attendees. The 2022 festival highlights include live music from country musician Mark Chestnut, the New Frontiers (a Journey tribute band), and the “largest lighted parade in Ohio,” which includes more than 20 marching bands.
October Apple Butter Festivals in Ohio
Hueston Woods Apple Butter Festival
6924 Brown Rd, Oxford, OH 45056
This idyllic Ohio apple butter festival provides a glimpse into farm life during the 1800s, including the making of apple butter — continuously stirred throughout the event.
Aside from delicious apple butter, festivalgoers can purchase a variety of fresh apples, hot apple cider, fall gourds, and pumpkins. Visitors interested in the area’s history can also take a tour of the Doty homestead and barn, which include mid-1800s artifacts, or watch a demonstration of spinning, weaving, and blacksmithing.
The festival takes place in early October, in the lovely Hueston Woods State Park. Kids under 12 can attend for free, and the proceeds from other visitors help further the preservation goals of the Oxford Museum Association.
Apple Butter & Cider Weekend
8800 Euclid Chardon Rd, Kirtland, OH 44094
In early October, Lake Metroparks Farmpark hosts one of the best, family-friendly apple butter festivals in Ohio. Throughout the weekend, visitors can tour the “Johnny Appleseed Trail” and try not to get lost in the 3-acre corn maze.
Also, attendees can learn how apple butter and apple cider are made, alongside other fun fall activities, including an apple-themed cooking demonstration.
While you’re at the Farmpark, you can say hi to dairy cows, horses, pigs, chickens, rabbits, sheep, and other farm animals, as well as see farm machinery exhibits, learn in the Plant Science Center, and take a horse or tractor-drawn wagon ride.
Enon Apple Butter Festival
120 S Xenia Dr, Enon, OH 45323
Step back in time at this annual Ohio apple butter festival in early October, hosted by the Enon Community Historical Society. Watch as apple butter is made traditionally, cooked over open fires in 50-gallon copper kettles.
The lovely scent of aromatic fall spices and apples can be smelled throughout the festival. The freshly made apple butter is canned and sold throughout the event, with enough made for thousands of attendees to take some home.
The Enon Apple Butter Festival is free for all ages to attend and also has free parking!
Burton Apple Butter Festival
14653 E Park St, Burton, OH 44021
Enjoy a bit of nostalgic Americana during this annual apple butter festival in Ohio, hosted by Century Village Museum in early October. Visitors can help stir apple butter as it cooks in large, cast-iron kettles, as well as buy some to take home with them.
Other seasonal items will also be available, such as apple cider, kettle corn, potpourri, handmade candles, local art, and more. The festival even features a fun display of giant kites in the meadow, and the historical buildings can be explored.
Grand Rapids Applebutter Fest
Downtown Grand Rapids, OH 43522
The Grand Rapids Applebutter Fest in early October is one of the most popular in all of Ohio, bringing in about 40,000 annual visitors!
The event has been held since 1977 and is famous for not only its beloved fresh apple butter but also its interesting historical reenactments, a farm area (including milking, butter-making, and shearing), arts and crafts, live performances, and tons of other good eats. The Classic Car Display is also a must-see, whether you enjoy antique vehicles or hot rods.
If you live nearby, you can volunteer to participate in “The Big Stir” at Kryder Farm two weeks prior to the festival. That’s when and where four kettles of apple butter are made.
Apple Butter Stirrin’
600 N Whitewoman St, Coshocton, OH 43812
The annual Apple Butter Stirrin’ in Coshocton in mid to late October is one of the largest apple butter festivals in Ohio and features fresh, homemade apple butter, concerts, crafts for children, food, local vendors, and more. About 10,000 visitors come each year to celebrate autumn and participate in the cooking of apple butter.
This festival is held in Roscoe Village, a restoration of a town that was once a bustling port. The village includes authentic buildings from the 1800s. Tours are available of the town for those interested in its history. For festival tickets, you can get a discount if you purchase them in advance online.
FAQs About Apple Butter Festivals in Ohio
Which apple butter festivals in Ohio are free to attend?
Of the above apple butter festivals in Ohio, the Enon Apple Butter Festival and the apple festivals at Hidden Valley Orchards are free to attend. Also, the Country Apple Fest charges a nominal fee for attendees over age 12. Although not listed above, the Oak Harbor Apple Festival is also free.
Most apple butter festivals in Ohio that are not free are reasonably priced, and discounted admission is usually available for children, seniors, and members of the military.
Can I make apple butter at any of these Ohio apple butter festivals?
At some, yes! The Grand Rapids Applebutter Fest has “The Big Stir” two weeks prior to the festival. Visitors can also help cook apple butter at the Apple Butter Stirrin’ in Roscoe Village and the Burton Apple Butter Festival.
Visiting Apple Butter Festivals in Ohio
These Ohio apple butter festivals are some of our favorites, but there are also lots of other fall things to do in Ohio! What’s your favorite Ohio apple butter festival?