MARS — After a record-setting 2017 Mars Applefest, organizers of the annual event believe the 2018 edition will be even bigger.

The 34th edition of the event, put on by the Rich-Mar Rotary Club, will offer visitors a chance to visit hundreds of vendors and crafters while strolling through downtown Mars. The event kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday and runs through 4 p.m.

According to Rich Mangel, a former Rich-Mar Rotary president and longtime member, the vendor spaces are “completely booked,” with 157 total scheduled to be on hand. In addition to vendors and crafters, nonprofit organizations and businesses will also participate.

“Basically the focus of Applefest is to highlight the little town of Mars,” he said.

Mangel said last year an estimated 5,000 people attended the festival, which typically averages between 3,000 and 5,000 people.

“We're hoping for another good year weather-wise,” he said.

Preparation

The Rich-Mar Rotary Club has been involved with organizing the event for about 10 years, Mangel said. While the event lasts six hours, it takes six months of work to bring it all together.

Mangel and other organizers begin sending out emails to past vendors in April, with a June 30 deadline for application. However, Mangel said vendors are always trying to sign on, and he found space for additional participants just a few weeks ago.

Spots are assigned in August, which has become a sort of routine.

“Some vendors come every year, and they've been coming for years, and they always want the same spot,” he said.

The week before the event, Mangel said, he goes door-to-door to let residents know about the event and to expect road closures. Pittsburgh Street and Grand Avenue are closed for the majority of Saturday. Spaces along those streets are marked out on Friday, and a steady stream of vendors is lined up and ready to go first thing Saturday morning.

After the event, Mangel said he and other volunteers make sure the area is returned to pristine condition.

“We try to leave it cleaner than the way we found it,” he said.

Event Features

For the third year, an Apple Baking Contest will be held. According to event information, participants must use apples as the main ingredient in their creation, and all baked goods must be made from scratch. The full recipe must be attached to the entry, which must be entered by 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

The items will be judged beginning at 11:30 a.m. After the judging the items will be priced and sold, with proceeds going to the Rotary club's End Polio Project.

The event also serves as a way for organizations to share their mission statements with a large group, and work toward completing community service projects.

While the event itself is a major project for the Rich-Mar Rotary Club, the group's new satellite club will be collecting crutches, canes and walkers for the Crutches 4 Africa organization at the Rotary welcome tent. The campaign aims to provide 1 million mobility devices to disabled people in need.

Mangel said the event is also a great way for students in the Mars and Pine-Richland school districts to serve their communities through volunteering, with some school teams and organizations also manning booths at the festival. However, this year's event falls on the same day as Mars' homecoming festivities, leaving a hole to fill.

“We've asked other organizations to help,” Mangel said.

Ultimately, Mangel said he hopes the event serves as a way to bring visitors to the borough and show them the small-town charm Mars has to offer.

“The little town is growing ... and (promoting that) is what it's all about,” he said.

Mars Mayor Gregg Hartung said the event has become a mainstay in the community, and the ability to offer a platform for both businesses and nonprofit organizations makes the event unique.

“It brings the community together in some interesting ways,” he said.

Hartung added that Rich-Mar Rotary officials have done an excellent job in making sure the festival runs smoothly.

“We owe a lot of gratitude to them,” he said.

10 a.m. — In Transition Gospel Band11 a.m. — TBDNoon — Mars Stars Jump Rope Team1 p.m. — TBD2 p.m. — Dizzy Whoosh Band3 p.m. — This Is The World Rock Band featuring students from Knoch High School*Ryan Bailey will be the DJ for the day