Locals and visitors to Bayfield alike know that the picturesque town on the shore of Lake Superior has become synonymous with its Apple Festival, which has grown into one of the area’s largest events — certainly the biggest featuring an apple peeling contest. Its roots go back to 1962 when local orchard owner Jimmy Erickson’s truck broke down on his way to sell apples in Duluth.
“He was sitting there saying, ‘Well, how can I sell my apples?’ And so he turned around and came back. And that led to the very first Apple Festival, where they had 4,000 to 6,000 people come to celebrate the harvest in Bayfield,” said Carol Fahrenkrog, executive director of the Bayfield Chamber & Visitor Bureau.
Fahrenkrog and newly crowned Apple Festival Queen Madison Galazen joined WPR’s Robin Washington on “Morning Edition” to talk about this weekend’s festival — and compare it to others held in towns around the country.
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The following interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Robin Washington: How many apples did Jimmy Erickson sell in Duluth?
Carol Fahrenkrog: I’m guessing he sold no apples. Hopefully the people from Duluth came to Bayfield.
RW: They certainly have been coming ever since. What has the festival grown into?
CF: It has grown into something that not only can you go to the orchards and partake in some of their festivities there, you can also come to downtown Bayfield and take part there. You will see every orchard represented, selling pies, cobblers, all sorts of things they make from apples. We’re super excited to have Fred Erickson, who is from the Erickson family. He’ll be down there with their famous apple cider donuts. And we’ll have our parade, where all of the bands run up the hill and come back down and do “On, Wisconsin!” And then we have our queen.
RW: Madison, did you grow up in Bayfield and have you always had your mind set on becoming Apple Festival queen?
Madison Galazen: I’ve lived in Bayfield since I was 3. I moved from Minocqua. I grew up on my grandpa’s farm, and it was always in the back of my mind to be Applefest queen. I never really thought that I would be chosen, but I’m just so happy to represent the farm this year.
RW: What are your duties?
MG: I got to be a judge at the apple pie contest, and I got to taste commercial pies. It was really hard — they were all so delicious.
CF: We have all sorts of categories. There’s one for a commercial pie dessert. There’s a section for home-baked pies. There’s even a section for children to submit.
RW: Bayfield isn’t the only town holding an apple festival. There’s one in La Crescent, Minnesota; Murphysboro, Illinois; and a place I never heard of called Biglerville, Pennsylvania, which dares to call theirs the National Apple Harvest Festival. What do you say to that?
CF: I say that they all in their own right are probably amazing, but nothing beats Bayfield, Wisconsin. We have the greatest lake in the world as our backdrop. All of our apples are grown in this microclimate. As you’re going through the orchard and picking your apples, you look out and you see our gorgeous lake out there. So I’m pretty sure that ours is the absolute best.
RW: What’s your favorite type of apple?
MG: I love a good Honeycrisp.
CF: I really haven’t met an apple that I didn’t like, but I do like the Honeycrisp.
RW: That makes sense, given the variety’s Minnesota origins, and the festival’s too — with that broken down truck.
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