A wonderful fall experience is just waiting to be picked in the picturesque rolling farmland of western Wisconsin. The Gays Mills Apple Festival is a celebration of the crisp and tangy fruit grown on these hills. It’s a perfect fall outing: it’s a chance to experience a bit of the community's small-town charm, participate in some fun activities, and pick up a peck of something delicious. Here’s what you need to know about the Gays Mills Apple Festival.
Gays Mills, pop. 491, is a historic community on the Kickapoo River. Its roots date back to 1847 when an early settler discovered the location was an ideal site for a mill.
More families settled in the community, including the apple-growing Twinning family. The Twinnings helped put Gays Mills on the map when their apples were well received at the World’s Fair.
More orchard growers followed and today the hillsides around Gays Mills are blanketed with apple trees. In the spring, they explode with blossoms, and in the fall, the bounty is picked.
The Gays Mills Apple Festival is held during the peak of the harvest. It includes a parade, an arts and crafts fair, horseshoe and corn hole tournaments, food stands, games for kids, and more.
Gays Mills calls itself the Apple Capital of Wisconsin, and you’ll believe the slogan when you’re at apple fest – there’s a full bounty of apples for sale, including many heirloom and lesser-known varieties that you’ll never find at a grocery store. The nuanced flavors of these apples are incredible!
While the festival is a good excuse to visit Gays Mills, the journey is as beautiful as the destination - the countryside bursts with fall color. Take your time and enjoy the drive, but don’t forget to pick up some apples for the road!
The Gays Mills Apple Festival takes place each September – learn more about the event on the Gays Mills website. If you enjoy incredible fall festivals, here are some more fall festivals that will make your autumn awesome.
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