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The Yankee Express

Dudley Grange’s Apple Festival good to the core

Nov 04, 2022 01:46PM ● By Chuck Tashjian
By ROD LEE

With agricultural roots going back one hundred and thirty five years as of next April, Dudley Grange #163 quite appropriately presents events associated with farming and the equipment used for that purpose.

 

Scenes from Dudley Grange #163’s Apple Festival include Dawn Beatty, Lenny Beatty and Laura Robbins at work inside the Hall, Bob Hanacek serving up French fries and the Old Fiddler’s Club of Rhode Island performing.


So it was that the Grange held its annual Apple Festival at its home on Center Road on October 1st, as it did a Strawberry Festival several months earlier.
Both are popular.
Despite the threat of intermittent rain, the turnout for the Apple Festival was strong, Karen-Beth Gillon, an officer of the Grange and co-chair of the production, said. “We had a good line of traffic, people came out for the apple crisp. We sold out of apple crisp by two o’clock.”
Featuring an assortment of activities, including a petting zoo, children’s games, the Fire Department’s smokehouse, Ray Sullivan demonstrating how an antique apple press works in front of the building, live music, crafts and vendors, there was plenty of reason to sample the goings-on.
Mr. Sullivan also helps “with the frog jumping” at the Strawberry Festival, Ms. Gillon said.
“We did OK,” she said. “We made a profit, to pay our bills.”
The Apple Fest was made possible by grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Dudley Cultural Council, Ms. Gillon noted.
Dudley Grange #163 is looking forward to providing a music series next summer, Ms. Gillon said.