News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Cumberland County’s annual Apple Festival Craft Show has been cancelled due to the pandemic.
The festival is the largest fundraiser for Cumberland Homestead museum and tower. Cumberland Homestead Tower Association President Brenda King said the funds usually pay for all museum expenses for the year.
“With us not having it this year, we are very concerned about being able to make it for 15 months when the next Apple Festival rolls around,” King said. “It is a very real concern of what we are going to do for 15 months.”
King said the funds pay for salaries, utilities, landscaping, and educational programs for the entire year. She said thousands of visitors flock to Cumberland County every festival weekend.
Not only does the lost revenue affect the museum, but also the economy of the county. King said help from the community is needed now more than ever.
“It’s going to have to be something that’s going to come from our community, Cumberland County, people who just love history and see the value of preserving this building,” King said. “It is the gateway to our community.”
Vendors who make crafts to sell at the festival have prepared all year for the event, King said. The festival began in 2004.
