Warwick Applefest

Ok, I’m putting this somewhere in the middle. I understand the reviewers who are frustrated with the crowds. 2014 was packed! There were some booths that I could barely get to or I just couldn’t get to at all, some 3 or 4 ppl deep. For this reason, it drops the enjoyment level dramatically. I waited in a long line for cider doughnuts (well worth the wait), but they kept running out of batter and simply could not keep up with the demand. I did make a few purchases and get to see some booths, but I didn’t stay long. The crowding does wear on you. For me, parking wasn’t so bad as I followed a few local folks into the neighborhoods and just parked in front of people’s houses and walked in. They probably hate that, but it’s just one day.
Ultimately, they have explained why they won’t extend the days/​hours and you just need to be prepared that this is going to be a packed event. If you do make the trek, go early, and I mean be the first people there (you’ll get doughnuts faster! lol). Park over in a neighborhood and walk in, then it will be EASY to get back out when you are ready to go. Forget the lots.
Or, you can just take in the local sites like Ochs Orchard for apple picking, GWL Garden center has fresh cider doughnuts and I’m sure other locals can add venues to that list that you can go in lieu of the crowds. I would suggest Sugarloaf, I bet it will be nice and calm there, and you can get your shopping experience w/​o all the crowding. Anyway, just my two cents, but I hope this helps someone.

Uhhhh, are you people fucking kidding me? You guys are the reason that Unilocal gets a bad rap for being a constant bitchfest. This is a popular, long-​running festival in the Hudson Valley centered around food – do you expect it NOT to be crowded? Do expect all of the vendors to be completely different every year, for all the food stands to save their most popular items all day for you, and for space in the middle of the busiest intersections of the festival to magically clear up just because you happened to walk that way? Good for you if you decide to shlep up from the city for the day. But the people up here (myself included) don’t really care; either have realistic expectations or don’t bother coming. Ironically, this area is best experienced when it’s quiet, so maybe come another time.
Now for a proper review. I’ve been coming to Applefest for most of my life. My Mom used to drag me as a kid but I still go now as an adult. There are a lot of quality vendors that do this festival year after year along with some new people who do cycle in every year. Whether you like primitives, antiques, or some other kind of crafts, odds are there will be something for you to see and potentially buy. Some favorites include the Ukrainian couple selling art sculptures, the old man who makes belts by hand (wearing one of his as I type this), and my Mom’s favorite: a stained glass vendor that only does this and a small handful of other shows due to her health. In addition, they moved some vendors from the Church in the front to the playground in the back; while the real reason is that the Church wanted people off their lawn (not like this event brings $ into the village or anything), it ended up creating a row of food vendors and people selling antiques off their doorsteps on the street connecting this playground to the main fair area. This is pretty cool and is actually one of my favorite parts of Applefest now.
On to the food. Don’t bother hitting Eddie’s Roadhouse during Applefest. Eddie’s is a great place but it’s normally packed during regular weekends; it’s a shitshow during Applefest. Stick to the food stands or take a drive afterwards somewhere nearby; pretty much any restaurant in the immediate area will be packed and not at its best. For the food stands I am partial to the pierogis; then again I’m part Polish so I am genetically predisposed. As you could expect by the name, Applefest has lots of apple-​oriented foods – including apple cinnamon pierogis from the same stand. The zeppole stand is also a standout, as is the pesto stand (although that’s for take-​home). For drinks, there are a lot of cideries and more selling bottles for reasonable prices. There’s also a craft beer shop in town that sells brewery swag to passers-​by. The wineries/​distilleries etc. in the immediate area are usually packed this weekend (best to visit another time), but Pennings Farm inside Warwick (but further out past Price Chopper) had a beer garden along with their own homemade hard cider, and they don’t seem to pack out. If you want to stay real close this might be a good move; otherwise there’s a number of other nearby breweries/​wineries/​cideries/​places to get drunk in a short drive that have popped up in the last few years (thanks Cuomo!) and are very much worth visiting.
Applefest isn’t perfect but it remains my favorite festival up here. I would normally only give this 4 stars, but I’m bumping this up to 5 just to counteract the dogshit reviews posted here now.

So many people and the same vendors every year. Parking is horrible. Can’t get in or out of town. They say no dogs but everyone brings one. Sorry but one time is enough

Too crowded and too cold for a fest today!!! This year is a stay home year. Skip the apple fast especially if you have kids. Only 50 °F out there. This year a nice bowl of hot cream of pumpkin or cream of tomatoes soup — it will do it.

I was so looking forward to Applefest 2012 as I had never been before and heard great things.
Basically, it was a huge cluster-​you-​know-​what. We could barely move without bumping into someone or being bumped into. The lines at the food tents were all a 10+ minute wait, and the vendor tents were so crowded you had to elbow your way up to the front. Multiple vendors had run out of hot apple cider when we arrived around noon (it opened at 10am and ran until 5pm. seriously??). The line for the ATM was out the door and around the corner. Main Street was NOT closed to traffic, so the sidewalks were completely gridlocked with people as cars zoomed by and people with double-​wide stollers tried to push their way through.
I wish I could have enjoyed this festival, but we spent the whole time trying to squeeze our way through crowds to find some breathing room. Severely disappointing! I would suggest making the festival a weekend-​long event instead of just one day — that might help to evenly disperse the giant crowds.