JACKSON COUNTY, OH (WOWK) – If you’re ready to get to the core of the fall season, the 82nd Jackson Apple Festival is underway in Jackson County, Ohio.

The festival takes place in downtown Jackson, Ohio, and there are tons of festivities in store. It’s an orchard of fun for everyone with bushels of vendors, local eats, games and rides lining the streets!

Country music band Blackhawk is also headlining this year’s festival with a Friday night performance.

For the locals, the festival is a sure sign that fall is just around the corner! The midway is a welcoming place for festival-goers celebrating the long standing tradition of everything apples!

The event started back in 1937 as a way to promote one of Jackson’s leading industries at the time – apple production.

Festival-goers say its all about the fun, the tradition and the community.

“What I love most about the Apple Festival is our traditions ’cause we do a lot of different kinds of contests like apple pealing, apple pie eating – I did apple bobbing yesterday,” said Apple Festival Royal Court 2nd Attendant Deonna Huston.

“The community coming together and enjoying the food and all the fun games and seeing everyone have fun in our hometown,” said Apple Festival Royal Court 1st Attendant Kyley Duncan.

The festival also includes a special raffle for a good cause.

“We are raffling off a 2005 Harley Davidson Ultra Classic, and what we do with the proceeds of this is we make sure the veterans around Jackson County every year have what they want for Christmas. They give us a list and we give it for them,” said Stephen Haley, of Jackson.

Saturday is the last day for the festival, which opens at 9 a.m. and goes to 11 p.m.