DOVER — Saturday, Oct. 5 will mark the 40th annual Apple Harvest Day. Started as a small downtown sidewalk sales craft fair, it has evolved into the city’s largest fair, drawing about 60,000 people each year, according to organizers.
Free to attend and presented by the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce, the festival boasts 300 vendors , including artisans, food vendors, businesses and nonprofits.
“It’s a huge economic benefit to the city,” said Margaret Joyce, president of the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce.
Central Avenue in the heart of downtown will close to vehicles at 8 a.m. to make way for the vendors and allow for foot traffic. The event starts at 9 a.m. with the “first bite” ceremony featuring local city officials key vendors crunching into a fresh apple while the Dover High School marching band performs.
Around 100 volunteers make the festival possible each year, said Joyce, many of them athletes from the University of New Hampshire sports teams, as well as members of UNH’s ROTC program and friends and family.
Here’s what you need to know before you attend this year’s festival:
Navy band to perform
3 p.m. , Rotary Arts Pavilion Stage
New to the annual Apple Harvest Day will be a performance by the U.S. Navy's Northeast Jack Tar Brass Band. The band will play recognizable pop songs featuring jazz elements..
Joyce said the performance will be a special way to honor and commemorate Veterans Day about a month ahead of the holiday.
Sustainability Expo
10 a.m.-2 p.m., Dover City Hall
Also new to the festival, the Dover Saves Sustainability Expo will be held by the Dover Energy Commission. Attendees can find answers to questions about the environment and energy and to receive up to an 80% rebate on energy efficiency improvements.
Family respite area and calm room
9 a.m.-4 p.m., Cocheco Mill Courtyard
The family respite area and calm room sponsored by the Dover Rotary Club is a place where anyone can go to rest and take a minute in a quiet, calming space. Held by Twenty-One Senses and staffed by the Dover Area Women’s Club, the space will feature a lactation-station, diaper changing space and a calm room. Bathrooms will be located 150 feet from the family respite area.
“If a child or a person of any age is feeling overstimulated, or needs a minute to take a breath, they can step into the calm room,” said Joyce.
The calm room will feature hands-on sensory activities, including Play-Doh, headphones, fidget spinners, coloring books and alternative seating.
The calm room and family respite area is intended as a space for people who would not be able to attend the festival if the space wasn’t provided.
Apple pie baking contest
11 a.m.-noon at the Rotary Arts Pavilion Stage at upper Henry Law Park
Amateur bakers can submit their apple pies to be sampled and judged by well- known faces, such as Mayor Carrier who participated as a contest judge last year, as well as Jonathan Nichols, executive director of Woodman Museum. The contest is presented by radio station WOKQ-FM 97.5.
There are two divisions amatuer pie bakers can register for: adults: 16 years and older, and youth: 15 years or younger
The prize for adults are two tickets to Blake Shelton on March 7 at Boston’s TD Garden.
The kids prize will be a $50 gift card to Hilltop Fun Center and a $25 gift card to Crumbl Cookie.
Entrants can register in advance through WOKQ.
All pies must be presented by 11 a.m. at the Rotary Arts Pavilion stage to be judged.
Wildlife Encounters, Thomas the Train & Bouncy Houses: Activities for kids
9-4 p.m., lower Henry Law Park will be designated as a kid’s zone
Roaming Train: A miniature Thomas the Tank Engine train will offer rides to children and their guardians around lower Henry Law Park. Operated by Conductor Dan of the Roaming Railroad, this proves to be an exciting attraction for kids!
Bouncy houses galore: Provided by Blast Party Rental inflatables, kids can climb and bounce in the inflatable bouncy houses in the kid zone. An all day pass for the inflatables, as well as interactive games for teenagers, is $10. An individual pass for one ride or one bounce for all ages is $4. All profits will go to the Dover Children’s Home.
Wildlife Encounters: The Wildlife Encounters Ecology Center & Farm School will share their furry pet and farm animals from at upper Henry Law Park.
Touch-a-truck: Organized by Waypoint, kids of all ages can get up close with construction equipment and fire trucks, and other vehicles.
Fire prevention education trailer: Dover's Fire Department and Community Services will present fire safety and construction vehicles for kids.
Lacrosse expo: Held by the Cocheco Lacrosse Club in lower Henry Law Park.
Music and entertainment
Performances will take place on two stages throughout the day.
Cocheco Courtyard Acoustic Stage, 431 Central Ave.
9-9:45 a.m. Sebastian Franks
10-10:45 a.m. Guy Capecelatro
11-11:45 a.m. Holly Furlone
12-12:45 p.m. Bob Moore Trio
1-1:45 p.m. Jonathon Booth
2-2:45 p.m. Joe Kenneally
3-3:45 p.m. Carol Caronis
Rotary Arts Pavilion Stage, Henry Law Park
9 a.m. Dover Highschool Band
9:30 a.m. Belletete Ballet
10 a.m. Mcdonough/ Grimes
10:30 a.m. Musical Arts of Dover
11 a.m. WOKQ
11:30 a.m. WOKQ
12 p.m. UNH Wildtones
12:30 p.m. Seacoast Men of Harmony
1 p.m. Garrison Players Youth Troupe
1:30 p.m. Curtain Call Performing Arts
2 p.m. Sole City Dance
2:30 p.m. Navy Band setup/ soundcheck
3 p.m. U.S. Navy Jack Tar Brass Band
3:30 p.m. U.S. Navy Jack Tar Brass Band
Two food courts
9 a.m.-4 p.m. on lower Henry Law Park & Third Street
- Bamee
- Bubble Bee Milk Tea
- Christopher\'s Third Street Grille
- Common Man Roadside
- Hong Kong Asian Noodle Bar
- Khaophums
- Kona Ice of York County
- Little Ipoh Chinese Malaysian Food
- Mezzanine Catering, LLC
- Shaved Ice LLC
- Slush King
- Sonny Boy Ice Cream
- Stalk
- Stella\'s Café at Pointe Place
- T & D Concessions
- Wild Mystic Beverages LLC
- Wing-Itz
Apple Harvest Day 5K Road Race
The 16th annual Apple Harvest Day 5K will start at 8:30 a.m. on St. Thomas Street and wind through Dover's historic downtown. The USATF Certified course is open to runners of levels, from experienced to novice runners and families.
Runners can register in advance at dovernh.org/events/details/2024-apple-harvest-day-5k-40272 . The admission fee for anyone over the age of 21 is $30, and anyone under the age of 21 it is $20 to participate. Children in strollers are not required to be registered.
Bibs are available for pick up on either Friday, Oct. 4 from 3-6 p.m. at the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce (550 Central Ave.), or on Saturday, Oct. 5, starting at 7:30 a.m. at the start line on St. Thomas Street.
Cash prizes will be awarded to the top male and female finishers, along with the first Dover male and female finishers. Gift certificates to Lickee's and Chewy's Candies and Creamery will be awarded to the the age 14 and under winners.
For runners 21-plus, hard apple cider will be provided by North Country Hard Cider Company at 12:30 p.m. Two complimentary beverages will be available to runners 21 and over, and non-alcoholic apple cider will be available for participants under 21.
Shuttle information
Shuttle service starts at 9 a.m. and end at 5 p.m., free of charge. The shuttle drop-off and pick-up locations for both shuttles will be at 6 Washington St., in front of the Children's Museum of New Hampshire. There is no set schedule for the shuttles, as they will run in a continuous loop. The shuttle service will be provided by UNH's Wildcat Transit.
North End Shuttle Lot:
Liberty Mutual Parking Lot, 150 Liberty Way off of Indian Brook Drive.
South End Shuttle 1:
275 Locust St., Dover.
South End Shuttle 2:
118 Central Ave, Dover.
More: Details on Dover street closures, parking for 2024 Apple Harvest Day and 5K Road Race
Festival sponsors
The festival, underwritten by First Seacoast Bank, would not be possible without its dozens of sponsors , according to Joyce.
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Apple Harvest Day 2024 in Dover: Everything you need to know
Local News
Comments / 0