Fenner Nature Center invites everyone to celebrate Michigan’s fall harvest and the traditions surrounding it at the Apple Butter Festival October 21 and 22, sponsored by Delta Dental. This event is FREE with a requested $5 parking donation.
From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, visitors can enjoy demonstrations of heritage crafts like pottery and weaving, listen to local folk and country musicians live and on stage, carve pumpkins, enjoy cider and donuts, and of course, take part in making apple butter the traditional way. Festival-goers can even gather around the giant copper kettle with our “celebrity stirrers” as they help the apples cook throughout the day.
“Cooking apple butter has always been a community event,” says Fenner Program Manager Sam Ansaldi. “One batch can take over 12 hours of constant stirring before it is finished. Today, that tradition of coming together around the kettle is at the heart of our festival, and we cannot wait to welcome our community for another year. Visitors to the Apple Butter Festival participate in hands-on learning about this forest-to-table product, how it is harvested and produced, and how it connects us to Michigan’s history. ”
This year, heritage artisans like Capital Area Lace Makers, Greater Lansing Potters Guild, Greater Lansing Weavers Guild, and more will lead demonstrations of their crafts. Grammy’s organics will have bee and pollination info, along with honey and beeswax products for sale. Capital Area Photo Booth will be on hand for attendees to create a prop and capture a picture to remember the moment. Food vendors like Lonestar Lemonade, Grandma’s Space Kitchen, MAAD House Tea, Sweet & Sticky BBQ, and D’s & C’s BBQ will be onsite. Volunteers and Fenner staff will lead stations like crosscut sawing, hide tanning, and apple butter sales.
This festival serves as a fundraiser for Fenner Conservancy, the nonprofit that manages Fenner Nature Center in partnership with the City of Lansing.
For more information, visit Fenner Nature Center on the web at www.mynaturecenter.org. Or call us at 517-483-4224.
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