Press Your Own Apples At The Amherst Cider Festival

A fundraising effort to maintain a local orchard continues this weekend with the return of the Amherst Cider Festival.

The festival will take place on Saturday, Sept. 22 from 12-5 p.m. at the Lindabury Orchard on top of Christian Hill in Amherst. A rain date has been set for Sunday, Sept. 23 in the case of inclement weather.

Participants can press their own cider to bring home, buy apples, go on hayrides and get in on kids activities that are fun for the whole family. Robert Allwarden and Rich Kumpu will be providing music during this family-friendly experience.

Moulton's Market will be also be providing Oktoberfest Fare alongside a bake sale featuring pies, cookies and crisps. Of course, apples and pumpkins will also be available for purchase.

All of the proceeds from the festival will go towards the maintenance and upkeep of the public orchard.

The Cider Festival is organized by a small group of Amherst citizens called Friends of the Orchard. Randy Chapman, the group’s president, said he wants to continue the orchard in the previous owner’s memory as a community resource to be proud of.

Jack Lindabury owner and worked the 60 acres of orchard property before his passing in 2001. The land was offered to the town to purchase, but the conservation commission did not have the means to buy the land.

The Amherst Land Trust then became involved and raised enough money through donations, grants and a warrant article to purchase the land. The Friends of the Orchard was formed soon after to maintain the orchard and work to create trails and other improvements on the land.

They needed money to even think about doing any of this, which gave birth to the first cider festival in 2003.

Chapman said the festival was a sold-out success and brought the neighborhood together for a common cause, and a lot of fun. They organized another festival in 2005 that brought in over 800 people.

The land has been improved since these fundraisers, but interest slowly dwindled over the years and the Friends of The Orchard need to figure out a more sustainable effort, according to Chapman.

This year’s festival is a test to gauge interest and see if others in town want to see the orchard maintained. Chapman is already hopeful as donations come in from Amherst residents who don’t want to see the land wasted.

He and a group of passionate neighbors truly want to see the land utilized to its full potential. The orchard is one of the highest points in Amherst, and the last apple orchard in town. Trails are planned for the property, along with other additions to beautify the space if enough fund are collected.

“We want to give this space a sense of community,” said Chapman.

Tickets are available to purchase in advance, but space is limited at the Amherst Cider Festival. Advance tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for children between 5-12 and free for children under 5. Tickets at the door will be $6 for adults and $4 for children 5-12.

For ticket information or to help out, contact Randy Chapman at ranchap@gmail.com. Volunteers are welcome and encouraged. More information can be found at the Amherst Cider Festival website or their Facebook page.