The Four Flags Area Apple Festival is reporting an increase in attendance at this year’s festival, which took place Thursday through Sunday at the Apple Festival Fairgrounds in Niles.

Pat Teeter, board member, said numbers are up about 10 percent over last year, totaling more than an estimated 120,000.

“It was a wonderful festival so we are very excited with how it turned out,” Teeter said, adding that volunteers were in the process of cleaning up the fairgrounds Monday afternoon.

No official attendance is taken at the festival, Teeter said. The numbers are based on the amount brought in from $5 parking donations, the festival’s percentage received from the carnival and proceeds generated from the Apple Festival products tent.

“It’s the third year in a row that we’ve seen an increase,” Teeter said.

Teeter attributes the spike in attendance to good weather and the popularity of Saturday night’s Irv Cass & Friends concert, which features a Niles Elvis impersonator.

“He (Irv Cass) really packed the tent Saturday night,” Teeter said. “We had a good response from that.”

Apple Festival officials will begin constructing next year’s float today in preparation for the Dowagiac Christmas Parade.

Teeter said next year’s Apple Festival theme is “Apple Festival Salutes.”

“It will be a tribute to all military branches,” she said.

 

Four Flags Apple Festival Results

Horseshoe Contest

Doubles

1. Bob Bailey and Sonny Toney

2. Mike Dembowski and Tom Murdock

3. Larry Gilson and Dan Fast

Singles

1. Larry Gilson

2. Bob Bailey

3. Tom Murdock

 

Trike and Big Wheel Race

Ages 2-3 Trike

1. Zackary Pegan

2. Naome Ferrier

3. Sophia Clark

Ages 4-7 Big Wheel

1. Haili Martz

2. Kaleb Connors

Ages 4-5 Bike

1. Aiden Brazo

2. Mikiah Anderson

3. Natalie Mitchel

Ages 4-5 Trike

1. Kolton Tonkel

2. Jackson Tonkel

Ages 6-7 Bikes

1. Landon Peirman

2. Talen Bennett

3. Maria Anderson

Adults

1. Mandie Mitchell

2. Austin Norman

 

Youth Parade Awards

Largest Group

1. Northside School 375 people

2. Eastside School 150 people

Judges Favorite — YMCA Preschool

Best Costume — Sophia Clark

Best Bike — Payson Regan

Best Wagon — Marek Regan

 

Grand Parade Awards

Rolling Wheels— AM Vets Post 1978

Apple Time — Niles Bowl for the Cure

Heritage — Michiana Princess

Four Flags — Brace Yourself Orthodontics

Antique Car — Clark Mead

Johnny Appleseed — Boy Scout Troop 550

Grand Sweepstakes — Mr. / Miss. Edwardsburg

Harmony — Edwardsburg High School

Classic Car — Bob Ahrens

Zapple the Apple — Rosco the Clown – Ross Champion

Simon Pokagon — Niles Elite Cheer

Apple Barrell — P.J Puppy’s Daycare

Apple Blossom — Buchanan Cheer

Macintosh Tractory — Steve Harrell

 

Apple Baked Goods Contest

Pastry

1. Amy Archer, salted caramel apple squares

2. Jennifer Holley, caramel apple blondies

3. (tie) Andrea McCoy, apple turnover with rum glaze

3. (tie) Robert Summers, caramel apple bacon bits

 

Pie

1. Lorie Carberry, Dutch apple

2. Jennifer Holley, cinnabon apple

3. Crystal Linde, caramel apple

 

Cake

1. Amy Archer, caramel apple

2. Werner Linde, caramel apple cheesecake

3. Crystal Linde, apple spice

 

Biggest Apple

1. Skibbe, 32 3/8

2. Skibbe, 30 3/4

3. Holloway, 29 7/8

 

Lip Sync Contest

Ages 7-2

1. Paige and PJ Albright

2. Katie King

3. Lucas Harner

 

Ages 13-17

1. Hanna Dowden

2. Khalilah Abdullah

3. Ivy Panzak

 

Ages 18 plus

1. Sue and Danelle Clark

2. Carrie Defeyter

3. Shari Dowden

 

Apple Peeling

First Heat

1. Jean Nyhuis, 55 inches

2. Loretta Kaser, 46 3/4 inches

 

Second Heat

1. Jean Nyhuis, 46 3/4 inches

2. Loretta Kaser, 42 inches

 

Apple Seed Popping

Men 13 plus

1. Bradley Millin, 20-9

2. Shaun Harner, 18-9

3. Scott Okonski, 13-2

Women 13 plus

1. Cathy Jones, 16-8

2. Lisa Crowder, 15-8

3. Lawanda Bell, 15-7

 

Boys 0-12

1. Lucas Harner, 15-5

2. Nate Millin, 7-9

3. PJ Albright, 3-3

 

Girls 0-12

1. Kaylee Thompson, 14-1

2. Bailey Crowder, 13-3

3. Layla True, 8-3

 

Apple Pie Eating

Men 16 plus

1. Earn Wilken

2. Teddy Delacrue

3. Scott Okonski

 

Women 16 plus

1. Brittany Molnar

2. Linsi Ford

3. (tie) April Jones and Barbara Young

 

Boys 0-15

1. Christopher Pagan

2. Mitch Blied

3. Kris Webster

 

Girls 0-15

1. Bailey Crowder

2. (tie) Kaylee Forbes and Meghan Sokoloskis

3. Destinee Brewster

 

Youth Hand Sawing

Girls 5-7

1. Allyson Walsh

2. Aspen Berry

Girls 8-10

1. Asiah Shaffer

2. Olivia Hardisty

Girls 11-13

1. Katelynn Oaks

2. Mable DeWitt

 

Boys 5-7

1. Eli Campbell

 

Boys 8-10

1. Asa Johnson

2. Chatin Morrison

 

Boys 11-13

1. Nathan Millin

2. PJ Albright

 

Old Fashioned Log Cutting

Men

1. Bob Shoemaker and Mike Kachur

1. Bob Shoemaker and Bill Martin

 

Boys

1. Michael Kachur Jr. and Conner Earles

2. Conner Earles and James Wu

 

Women

1. Cheri Martin and Katie Berry

2. Penny Wagner and Amy Archer

 

Seniors

1. Bill Martin and Rich Martin

2. Cheri Martin and Rich Martin

 

Girls

1. Sarah Williamson and Marii Moriuchi

2. Emma Jo Banicki and Megan Diaz

 

Beard and Mustache Contest

Mustache

1. Jeremy Courtland

2. Adam Peterson

 

Beard

1. Gary Barnes

2. Barry Sokoloski

Overall

1. Jeff Jataschuck

2. Steve Sirovica

 

Arts and Crafts

Best Display — Kristy Hockstetler

Most Original — Leonard Penkod