How The Cumberland Homesteads Apple Festival Came To Be

Cumberland Homesteads Apple Festival keeps history alive by paying tribute to the original settlers of Crossville.

Homestead Association President Brenda King said the organization started the festival in 2004.

“They decided they were going to do a fundraising event on the grounds of the historic Homestead Tower,” King said. “They didn’t know what to call it yet but thinking back to the original homesteaders they all had apple orchards. So that’s how the name Apple Festival came to be.”

King said to this day, the old apple orchards can still be seen when driving around the historic district. However, King said the fruit is not as plentiful as in the past, so the festival will have apples from Pikeville.

The two-day event begins Saturday with vendors and treats revolving around apple crops. King said the $5 admission helps the association’s mission of keeping the homestead tower and elementary school preserved.

The Cumberland Homesteads has been a historic district since 1984 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.