MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — The 36th Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival takes over the Eastern Panhandle this weekend.
Events from dances and a craft show to the grand feature parade are slated throughout the weekend to help celebrate the region’s agricultural heritage.
Apple Harvest board member Mark Jordan says Queen Pomona XXXVI (36), Keara Heck won’t have much time to rest.
“It is a full weekend of going here and there, and just lots of activities,” Jordan said.
Heck is a senior at Martinsburg High School who wants to study secondary education at WVU next year.
The festival has allowed Heck to speak with young people, she said.
“My biggest thing that I want to do as queen is go around, talk to the kids. Read to them and kind of spread the importance of our apple industry.” Heck said.
Reality television star Chris Souls is this year’s Celebrity Grand Marshal and former Washington Redskin Ron Saul is the Celebrity Sports Marshal.
Saul, a Super Bowl winner, says being part of this event means a lot to him.
“It’s an honor to be in the Apple Harvest. It really, really is.” Saul said. “We are going to have a good time.”
The Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival runs through Sunday in Berkeley County.
Details are available at www.msahf.com.