50 WAYS TO EAT AN APPLE

As seen in the 2026 Destination Gettysburg Getaway Guide on page 14

More Than Just Pie

If there’s one thing Adams County knows how to do, it’s apples, with the National Apple Harvest Festival proving it deliciously.

This beloved fall tradition, held the first two weekends in October, isn’t just about apples on trees: it’s about apples everywhere, in every form imaginable. In fact, there are at least 50 separate ways in which to find, eat, sip, drizzle, bake, fry, pickle and indulge in apples during the festival.

Most are comfortingly familiar.

Others may stop you mid-bite with a surprised, “Wait… apples do that?”

That’s half the fun. The festival turns apple season into a playful scavenger hunt for your taste buds, where guessing all the ways apples are presented is practically a sport.

You’ll find apples showing up in three irresistible forms:

Sweet to Eat: Applesauce & Applause

From pies, fritters, donuts, cakes, cookies, strudel, and whoopie pies to caramel apples, cotton candy, fudge, ice cream, chips, sonker,* turnovers, pancakes, muffins and more. Dessert lovers, you’re covered.

Savor the Savory: Core Beliefs

Apples bring balance and bite to burgers, sausages, pizza, grilled cheese, slaw, chutney, salsa, relish, fries, barbecue sauce, pickled dishes and even savory dips.

Liquid Refeshment: Pressed & Poured

Wash it all down with cider, juice, slushies, tea, hard cider, wine, brandy, vodka, moonshine, daiquiris and hot toddies. All to prove that apples pour beautifully.

Think you can find all 50 ways to eat your apple? The real joy is showing up hungry and seeing how many you can consume during your visit. Plan to hit the annual festival and get ready to sing along, quietly, with your mouth full.

*Sonker: a North Carolina traditional deep-dish dessert made with apples and topped with a simple biscuit or dumpling crust, served warm with a sweet pouring sauce. Look for it at the festival!

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