Exceptional Apple Crop Expected to Draw Record Number to Bayfield Apple Fest

BAYFIELD - For those of you looking for a weekend adventure that not only includes beautiful fall colors and cooler weather, but some of the most unique apple treats in the country, you're in luck. Bayfield is gearing up for its biggest tourism event of the season. This year’s Apple Festival is expected to be the best one in history. The streets of downtown Bayfield are empty now, but in just a few days they'll be filled with artists, food vendors and thousands of tourists on the hunt for the best apple treat."It's not sort of a manufactured event,” said Kelley Linehan, with the Bayfield Chamber of Commerce. “It's one that's is very near and dear to what people here are all about." At the core of Bayfield’s history are the hardworking apple farmers that have called the Chequamegon Bay home for over 100 years. "This tree that I'm standing right next to was planted in the 1940's," laughed Missy Morin, with the Bayfield Apple Company. Instead of bringing the apples to the buyers, farmers thought of a way to bring their customers to their apples. Fifty-two years ago, Bayfield Apple Fest was born."They're just really crisp delicious apples this year, but there's also a lot of them," said Linehan. Officials with Bayfield Apple Co. say this year’s crop is the best they’ve seen in three years, and they’re rushing to get all the apples picked, sorted, and canned before this weekend. "We had a really wet winter which the snow melted and watered the trees," said Morin, explaining why apples this year are superb. The extreme winter wasn't only good for the apples, but it also caused an unexpected jump in tourists traveling to the area."This summer has been the busiest summer that Bayfield has seen. I think in large part due to the ice caves," Linehan said. A few months ago Bayfield saw a spike in tourism that's carried over into the summer. After the ice caves phenomenon, it’s the tourism surge people in Bayfield were expecting. "This tiny town we have here, population 487, can see 40-50-60 thousand people come in in the course of three days," said Linehan. With hotel rooms booked out months in advance, and fair rides already rolling into town, Apple Fest organizers can only hope the weather will cooperate and make for a perfect weekend."If this summer is any indication of what to expect for Apple Fest, it's going to be a very good year," Linehan said. The Apple Festival kicks off Friday and runs through Sunday afternoon. For more information, click here.