Jersey County's Apple Festival Combines History and Community
The annual Apple Festival brings family-friendly fun to Jerseyville on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. See what the Jersey County Historical Society has planned, from over 40 craft vendors to hands-on history.
Jersey County Historical Society’s 33rd Apple Fest and Local History on Our Daily Show
JERSEYVILLE - The community is invited to join in the family-friendly fun at the annual Apple Festival, hosted by the Jersey County Historical Society.
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From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, community members can stop by 601 N. State Street in Jerseyville for a day of over 40 craft vendors, live music, food, and kids’ activities. You can also tour all of the historical society’s buildings for $5. The goal, explained Beth McGlasson with the Jersey County Historical Society, is to celebrate local history and bring people together.
“It really has become a much loved way for the community to really welcome fall,” McGlasson said. “This is really how we kick off fall in Jerseyville, and it’s really become very, very popular over the years.”
Jersey Community High School students will provide live entertainment from 9:30–11:30 a.m., followed by a musical performance by local favorite The Gibson Girls. Echoes of the Past takes the stage from 1:30–2 p.m., featuring reenactors sharing their characters’ stories. DJ Jumping Johnny rounds out the day from 2–4 p.m.
An Abraham Lincoln impersonator will be walking the grounds and making conversation throughout the day. Over 40 crafters and vendors will sell their wares.
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., for $5 per child, kids can receive a chore chart and complete pioneer chores like churning butter, milking a cow, gathering eggs and more. For every chore they complete, they will receive a wooden penny that can be exchanged for candy in the old-time mercantile.
The Jersey County Historical Society will serve fish, chicken strips, walking tacos, hotdogs, fries, vegetable soup, ham and beans, kettle corn and desserts. Attendees can enjoy historical tours of the grounds throughout the day for $5 per person. Admission is free for children under age 5.
McGlasson is especially excited to show off the Cheney Mansion, which will mark its 200th anniversary next year, making it older than Jersey County. You can also check out the Lone Star School, Union Forest Church, the log cabins and the museum.
These buildings have been carefully preserved by the historical society and feature tons of donated items, from racing sleighs and Model T cars to wedding dresses and Indigenous artifacts. McGlasson thanked the community members who have donated heirlooms to the Jersey County Historical Society, allowing the society to preserve these items and share them with people across the region.
The historical society will offer more tours and experiences in the future, including a Christmas tour at the Cheney Mansion and a wedding dress exhibit in February. But in the meantime, they’re excited to offer the annual Apple Fest tradition. This festival was started by Ringhausen Orchards over 30 years ago.
McGlasson added that people can reach out anytime to schedule a private tour of the buildings or inquire about donating items. She also shared that the society has a genealogy research center with information about local families in Jersey and Greene Counties. It’s important to her to share this history with the community.
“It’s just so very important to preserve our history,” she said. “I hate to admit this, but I was born and raised in Jersey County until the age of 25, and I was pretty well convinced that nothing exciting had ever happened in Jersey County. History did not excite me as a kid. I thought it was pretty boring, honestly. But I was looking for a volunteer opportunity and became involved in the historical society and started reading about the people and the history of Jersey County, and I was just absolutely amazed and blown away.”
Today, McGlasson is passionate about sharing local history with community members and children. She hopes Apple Fest on Oct. 3 allows the Jersey County Historical Society to reach more people. She is excited to engage with people and history throughout the day of the festival.
“My passion really is sharing it, especially with kids. That’s who I really love imparting history with and really lighting this fire within these kids to learn about the past, because it’s so important,” she added.
For more details about Apple Fest, click here. To learn more about the Jersey County Historical Society, visit their official website.
This featured article is sponsored by the Jersey County Historical Society. To get your business or organization featured on www.RiverBender.com, contact us at sales@riverbender.com.
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