What you should know about Labor Day and its history
There’s more to Labor Day than just barbecues, special deals, and a long weekend. Here’s everything you need to know about the national holiday.
A tasty Hendersonville tradition has been named to a top 10 list of America’s most popular Labor Day events.
Personalized photo gift website Mixbook’s rankings were determined through an online survey of 3,000 people. A two-step process was used to ensure representativeness of different demographic groups.
In total, three North Carolina celebrations made it onto the list of the 100 best Labor Day events – but the NC Apple Festival in Hendersonville made it into the top 10.
Here’s what Mixbook has to say about the festival and what else you should know about the event, which takes place just days before its 2024 start date.
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What is the NC Apple Festival?
Mixbook praised the Hendersonville Apple Festival for its street fair, live entertainment, and apple treats. They also mentioned the parade and the children’s activities offered, making the festival a perfect family-friendly weekend.
The festival has a long tradition, with a history spanning over 70 years. The NC Apple Festival website states that the festival is Henderson County’s way of celebrating apples, as they are one of the county’s most important agricultural crops.
In a normal year, the website says, apples bring Henderson an average of $30 million or more. Cultivation has been part of the county’s culture since the mid-1800s. Today, Henderson grows 80% of its apples in North Carolina, which ranks seventh in the country in apple production.
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NC Apple Festival 2024 Schedule
The Apple Festival begins on Friday, August 30th at 10:00 a.m. From Friday to Sunday, the entire festival is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
On Monday, September 2, the food court area and some artisans and vendors will remain at the festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a break at 2:30 p.m. for the annual King Apple Parade.
Full schedules for each day can be found on the festival website.
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The most important events for Labor Day in the USA
Here are Mixbook’s full top 10 rankings:
- Los Angeles Labor Day Parade, Los Angeles, California.
- Labor Day weekend events in the Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
- Labor Day wine tasting weekend, Napa Valley, California.
- Colorado State Fair, Pueblo, Colorado.
- Labor Day weekend seaside concert series, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
- North Carolina Apple Festival, Hendersonville, North Carolina.
- Oregon State Fair, Salem, Oregon.
- Grand Canyon Music Festival, Grand Canyon, Arizona.
- Pittsburgh Rib Fest, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- 10 Santa Fe Fiesta, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The other two North Carolina events that made the 100 list were the Canton Labor Day Festival at number 39 and the Charlotte Labor Day Parade, close behind at number 40.
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Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected].
