Overview The North Carolina Apple Festival turns Main Street in downtown Hendersonville into a four-day street fair over Labor Day weekend, and the growers work the street themselves: 14 Henderson County apple growers, some of them third- to seventh-generation orchard families, sell apples by the bag or the bushel next to fried pies, slushies and donuts. The county grows 80% of North Carolina's apple crop. Admission is free, the festival closes with the King Apple Parade on Labor Day, and the 2026 festival was the 80th. On site The street fair runs 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday and on Monday until the parade ends, with the growers at their corners (Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard across from the stage at 1st and Main, Justus Orchards at 5th and Main), arts and crafts vendors and a food court between them. The Entertainment Stage in front of the Historic Courthouse opens Friday with ceremonies and the apple recipe contest winners, and in 2026 ran bluegrass, a big band, mariachi and folklórico dancers, clogging with audience participation, an Elvis impersonator and a pie-eating contest called the Battle of the Badges. A Family Fun Zone sets up rides and inflatables. The King Apple Parade on Monday afternoon brings floats, bands, youth groups and fire trucks down Main Street. Audience It is a hometown festival in the plain sense. Local dance schools, the Hendersonville High School orchestra and Flat Rock Playhouse's junior company fill the daytime stage. The Family Fun Zone opens in two lots, and the parade carries youth groups, bands and fire trucks alongside professional floats. The 2026 Apple Ambassador, a Henderson County senior, first rode in the parade as a young dancer on her studio's float. Track record The festival puts King Apple Parade crowds at more than 60,000. Apples bring Henderson County an average of $30 million or more in a normal year, the county has grown them since the mid-1700s, and North Carolina ranks seventh among apple-producing states. The Apple Ambassador program, run with the N.C. Apple Growers Association, awards the Evelyn Lutz Hill Memorial Scholarships to Henderson County seniors. Brand presence AdventHealth was the presenting sponsor in 2026, UNC Health Pardee sponsored the King Apple Parade, the NC Education Lottery put its name on the Battle of the Badges, and The Community Foundation of Henderson County sponsored the Family Fun Zone. Community levels are named for apples, Honeycrisp and Gala. The entertainment sponsor gets its logo on the stage banner, a promotional tent beside the stage and an on-stage contest, and the T-shirt sponsor's logo goes on more than 1,000 festival shirts. Sponsor booths are display only, with no on-site sales.