NCTC expects legendary festival, infinite apples

NEBRASKA CITY – Nebraska City Tourism and Commerce is billing the two weekends of AppleJack Festival as one legendary celebration and infinite apples, setting a bar growers and bakers are expecting to clear.

Emma Frederick, an orchard manager at Kimmel Orchard, said she doesn’t usually talk in terms of infinite, but said this year’s apple crop is good despite some challenges in the growing season.

A wet, windy spring reduced some of the earliest blooms on the apple trees and a dry spell from May to June came during a crucial growth period for fruit.

Still, Frederick likes the size of some of the honey crisp apples and the selection available for this year's festival.

 

 

While Kimmel Orchard is not expecting any shortage of apple doughnuts, a downtown bakery admits they are not infinite.

Central Apple Market can only make 10 dozen per hour and expects those to sell fast.

Healthy apple treats are offered at Chillin’ On Central beginning Friday and apple sangria is being sipped at the Keeping Room. On Saturday,  apple cider is available at the pancake feed  at the fire station, homemade caramel apples are being dipped downtown and cinnamon apple brats are on the menu at the Kimmel Kitchen. Arbor Day Farm is offering its limited edition apple-flavored ice cream.

U-pick apples are offered fresh from the trees at area orchards.