COVINGTON, Ind. — Even for those who don’t like apples, plenty of activities will tempt visitors at Saturday's 27th annual Covington Apple Fest.
Visitors can start the day with a pancake breakfast, and then take a bicycle ride, shop the booths, visit the downtown stores, listen to music, examine vintage vehicles, tour historic buildings, watch a children’s pageant, visit the Bloodmobile and, finally, end the day with a fish fry.
“There’s something for everyone,” said Stephanie Lober, president of the Covington Business Association, which is sponsoring the popular event.
She guesses that more than 1,000 people will visit the festival, which will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT Saturday in downtown Covington.
“I think it’s the perfect event. You get a taste of Covington,” said Lober, who owns Hue Specialty Foods. “Everybody has their fall decorations out. Nearly every resident in town comes to the festival.”
There will be more than 100 booths with crafts, food, products, and apple goodies, and seven downtown businesses will be open. The Covington Business Association will sell apples from Coffing Brothers Orchard.
The Fireman’s Pancake Breakfast from 7-10 a.m. EDT is popular, with free-will donations taken at the fire station. All proceeds will go toward buying a brush truck.
Another popular event is a bicycle tour sponsored by Fountain Trust, starting at 8:30 a.m. EDT at the Covington Banking Center.
There are three options: 5-8 mile Circle Trail ride for families, children and inexperienced riders; 15-mile Covington ride which goes out of town; and the 40-mile ride from Covington to Kingman to Veedersburg and back, for more experienced riders.
Cost is $10 for ages 18 and over; $5 for those under 18; free for children under 6; and $25 for a family of four. All proceeds will be donated to the Covington Circle Trail.
“For people who enjoy riding, it’s a beautiful ride,” said Allison Alexander, an employee at the Covington Banking Center who helps with the event. “It takes you out into our country.”
A new feature this year is a bloodmobile on the west side of the courthouse. People may register in advance or just show up.
“It’s something I’m passionate about,” said Lober, who gives blood every 56 days.
ENTERTAINMENT
Festival-goers also can enjoy a variety of entertainment on the stage. Mayor Brad Crain will give the welcome at 9 a.m., with the Covington High School Band playing the National Anthem. First act will be Joe Sanders at 10 a.m., followed at 11 a.m. by Rick Randles and Alan Wait.
At noon, four musicians will play a 90-minute set of classic rock and roll. They are Craig Minnette on lead guitar and vocals, Cat Richards as lead vocalist, Jeff Frey on bass guitar and Tim Park on drums. All are graduates of Covington High.
“Playing the Apple Fest is real special to me and an honor,” Minnette said. “A lot of the people in the crowd were music mentors to me while I was growing up.”
Minnette returned to Covington about a year ago; he had been living in Los Angeles.
He also performs with the band Stone Bluff, made up of Richards, Frey, Park and Curt Phelps; with the band Cuz’in Eddie; and the group, Soul Hadij, out of Indianapolis. Also, he has a one-man acoustic show using his stage name Eddie Minnette.
Entertaining runs in the family. Minnette’s son is Dylan Minnette, 20, who has been acting in movies and on television most of his life. He had a role in last year’s horror movie, “Don’t Breathe,” and is filming the second season of Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why” in San Francisco. Dylan also has a band, Wollows, which is getting ready for a European tour.
After Minnette and his bandmates perform, visitors to the Apple Fest can watch the Johnny Appleseed and Little Miss Apple of Your Eye contest at 1:30 p.m. Then, the Wabash Valley Area Band performs at 2:30, followed by the Friendship Circle Line Dancers at 3:30 p.m.
OTHER EVENTS
• Visitors also may tickets for $1 to win a playhouse, which will be raffled off on Oct. 28. Proceeds go to Friends of the Covington City Park for that renovation project.
• Tours of the Fountain County Courthouse will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. People may meet art conservator Mary Yeager.
• The 1842 Fountain County Clerk’s Building/Museum at 516 Fourth St. will be open all day Saturday. Normally, it’s open from 1-4 p.m. Saturdays from May 1 to Oct. 31.
• A car, truck and motorcycle show is always a popular event. Registration fee is $10 and may be done from 9-11 a.m. Trophies and prizes will be awarded at 2 p.m. For more information, call Tara at (765) 793-5477.
• A Masonic fish fry will be from noon to 6:30 p.m. at the fire station.
FYI
• Learn more at Covington Business Association’s Facebook page.
• To set up an appointment to donate blood, go to http://ift.tt/2foIkfJ…/schedules/drive_schedule/116978.
You also may show up at the bloodmobile, but might have to wait for an opening.
• For the Fountain Trust Bicycle Tour, pick up forms at any of banking centers, print a form at the website, http://ift.tt/2wjAVoN; or call the Covington banking center at (765) 793-2237. Or simply show up at 8:30 a.m. EDT.
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