Has your mother ever recited to you the proverb, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away?”

Well, if this axiom holds true, doctors in the Chenango Valley may soon be run out of business after the recent Apple­fest at the Loj House on Sat­urday, October 15. One could find a plethora of baked and unbaked goods made out of – you guessed it – apples.

All of the apples used at the event came from Stonebroth­ers Farm, a small local farm in Canastota, New York. Among some of the mouthwatering goods at Applefest were an as­sortment of uniquely made apple pies, apples crisp cakes, apple cookies, caramel apples, apple cheesecake, apple cider and much, much more. Who knew that there were so many distinctive desserts that could be made out of apples?

Aside from indulging in nu­merous tasty desserts, Colgate students and local residents were encouraged to participate in the actual cooking and pre­paring of the food that made the event a success. This interactive tradition proves why the an­nual Applefest is becoming such a strong community-building event in the town of Hamilton.

However, the Applefest did not only feature great food and beverages. The Broad Street As­sociation also invited Colgate’s Juggling Club to exhibit their routines with incredible pre­cision using none other than apples! Furthermore, there was a DJ at the event who played lively music, which proved to compliment the upbeat social scene well.

“We cooked for a while and tried to make enough pies to make everyone happy…the event proved to be a huge suc­cess,” junior Spenser Nehrt said.

Nehrt was a cooking participant and co-planner of the event. But what is the true purpose of this unique event? The importance of the event goes far beyond simply making people aware of the delightful taste of apples.

“Applefest is meant to get people together to bake apple products and foster community building…and to celebrate the fall season,” senior Sarah Lemon said.

Lemon was the event organizer and is the leader of the Broad Street Association.

As the leaves change their pigments and begin to fall onto the unforgiving ground, never to be seen again until next spring, Applefest attempts to foster with­in students and local residents an appre­ciation and admiration of the nature that surrounds us. Applefest serves as a way for us to give thanks to what the forces of nature provide us with.

As to how Applefest started, Lemon suggests that it was an enigmatic occur­rence that kept “materializing” every homecoming until it became a true tra­dition. Today, Applefest stands not only as a symbol that Colgate University’s infamous freezing weather is fast ap­proaching, but also as a way for students and residents to come together and form everlasting bonds that can only make the university community stronger and more prosperous.

Contact Alan Pleat at [email protected].