Delta, apples all set for 11th annual festival

10/2/2002

DELTA - Hundreds of people will gather on Saturday to watch a few competitors get into bed and take a street-shaking ride.

The bedposts will be rattling as teams roll through town in a bed race. The event will debut this year at the annual Delta Apple Dumpling Festival.

“We've had quite a few entries,” said Marcy LeFevre, a festival organizer. “One team will race a baby's crib.”

Teams can race with any type of bed that has wheels. One rider, equipped with a seatbelt and a helmet, will sit on the bed while four people push it toward the finish line.

The race is the final event of the festival, which runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. downtown. For those who want to get an early start, Grandma's Kitchen on Main Street begins serving coffee and baked goods at 7:30 a.m.

The art show that runs during festival hours moved to a new home this year in the Sanctuary on Main. In the past, the show was held inside the library or on the library lawn.

“The library just doesn't have room anymore and we haven't had very good luck with the weather,” said Nannette Sturtevant, president of the Fine Arts Association of Delta.

The show will feature works by several association members, including paintings, photography, and jewelry. Many of the pieces are for sale.

“We're really proud. Our group has some really good artists,” Ms. Sturtevant said. “I think people will love to come in and just see the building itself.”

Local residents Heidi and Gregory VanGunten renovated the Sanctuary five years ago. Detailed paintings illustrating scenes from Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and medieval art decorate the ceiling of the former church, which was dedicated in 1878.

The Apple Dumpling Festival also includes craft booths, food stalls, and, of course, apple dumpling vendors. Children can enjoy games throughout the day. A pie auction will begin at 1 p.m.

The many musical entertainment acts include the Young at Heart Line Dancers and the Delta Community Band, which formed about eight months ago. They will play marches, polkas, and other popular tunes.

The Apple Dumpling Festival is in its 11th year. Last year, the festival raised about $4,000, Ms. LeFevre said. The village donated the proceeds to the American Red Cross for relief efforts related to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The village has not decided exactly what to do with this year's profits. Ms. LeFevre said the money will go toward “beautifying the community.”