Under the big pines

This past weekend was the annual Apple Blossom festival in Arendtsville, Pennsylvania, one of my two favorite local festivals, the other being the Apple Harvest Festival in the same location in October. Considering how most of the spring here has been (wet), a clear and sunny day was something of a minor miracle. Add in a temperature that was not too hot and not too cold, the weather was simply perfect.

Part of the reason I enjoy this festival so much is simply because the grounds are so beautiful--no macadam anywhere. Even the parking lot is grass. The few buildings around have been here for years and fit in with the surroundings. Many of the vendors bring their own tents and canopies. I can wander around the wares and food stands and listen to the pines whispering in the breeze as I do.  To me, that's just about perfect, too.

The apple blossom festival is my favorite of the two. It's smaller and much less crowded, which means getting around the festival and seeing what's here is easier, too.  This year the blossom festival was a bit smaller and even less crowded than usual--probably because it fell this year on Mother's Day, which it doesn't always.  The harvest festival is huge, with perhaps triple the number of vendors.  Sometimes it's tough to navigate, even if I plan to attend during the hours when it's likely to be the least busy.

For me, there's simply no better fairgrounds anywhere than this one.  I hope your own area has one that's just as perfect.