The village of St. George threw a lively celebration for the arrival of harvest season during its 42nd annual Apple Fest, which was held on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20, 2026.
Thousands of locals and visitors from across the region filled Main Street and beyond throughout the weekend, taking in the sights and smells while browsing the goods offered by 165 different vendors.
From homemade preserves and specialty smoked meats to mobile eateries, garlic spread, candles, home décor, clothing, and artwork, there were plenty of ways to support the local small businesses and organizations who were on site for the two-day celebration.
Keeping with the longstanding tradition, Brantwood Farms and Brantview Apples and Cider were there selling an array of fresh-from-the-orchard apple varieties, as well as apple-based products like fresh cider, donuts, dumplings and even barbecue sauce.
During the two-day event, visitors got to enjoy a selection of live music and various acts across two stages, providing plenty of entertainment for those in attendance.
Saturday’s lineup featured Bradley Michaels, the Green Bloods Band, the Dirty Boys, Atkinson Brothers Band, Cobby’s Kitchen Party, STOMPtastic Line Dancing, John Atlee Band, Powerglide and Always on Friday, who all took turns entertaining the crowd throughout the day and into the evening.
Sunday’s performances included music by New Moon Junction, Grass Tax and crowd favourite Paris Port Dover Pipe Band. Big Cityyy Arts also put on the Other Paris Fashion Week mini runway show.
Over in the Kids Zone, youngsters enjoyed having the opportunity to meet storybook and cartoon characters, checking out the children’s entertainment stage, large inflatable attractions, the petting zoo, reptile show and birds of prey shows, and foam parties.
Joe Monteiro, President of St. George Apple Fest, said that while the weather on Saturday may have affected the number of visitors they had this year, Sunday’s sunny skies helped draw in a significant crowd from the immediate area and beyond.
“The weather wasn’t very helpful for us yesterday, but the weather today is definitely making up for it, we’re only an hour in and it’s already far busier,” he said. “We’ve got people coming from all over to attend this event, not just in our area either. I’ve met people here from Windsor, Barrie, Niagara, Toronto, and I even met someone from Alliston which is on the other side of Toronto. It’s just incredible.”
When asked why people enjoy attending the event year after year, Monteiro and Liz McClay, Apple Fest’s vendor chair, said it’s become a fall tradition for individuals and families alike.
“It’s the perfect time of year for an event like this,” said Monteiro. “When you think about it, the kids are back in school, everybody is sort of relaxed and in the swing of things and then you’ve got Apple Fest to enjoy.”
“I think a lot of it has to do with the history too,” added McClay. “It started out 42 years ago with our apple growers, Brantwood and Brantview, and it’s just grown bigger and bigger every year. It’s a real tradition for generations of families.”
The vendor chair continued, saying that while the visitors get to benefit from all the delicious food and activities, it’s the community of St. George that benefits.
“It’s awesome because it brings so much awareness to the village,” said McClay. “It gets people inside our amazing restaurants and in our community. We’ve met so many people, and even some of our vendors, who didn’t know where St. George is, and it’s just wonderful see an outpouring of people here.
With 165 vendors participating in this year’s event, it was the biggest it’s ever been, and wouldn’t be possible without the help of all their volunteers and committee members.
“This is the biggest it’s been in 42 years,” said McClay. “It takes a whole committee all year to pull this off every year and we’re thankful to our sponsors and our roughly 140 volunteers who have helped make this happen.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
