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Brandon Clark Jr. had fun on the inflatables during the Apple Festival on Friday.
(Madison Mathews / Johnson City Press)

Apple Festival has plenty of fun for kids

By Jim Wozniak
Erwin Bureau Chief
jwozniak@johnsoncitypress.com

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ERWIN – Main Avenue and the side streets are geared mostly toward the adults during the Apple Festival, although there are some ways for children to have fun.

But in the parking lots of Town Hall and the U.S. Postal Service, children have the run of the place.

Everything from seats attached to bungee cords that enable children to bounce and flip to various inflatables, fish games and a train ride, there is plenty to occupy a child’s time.

Jacob Stratton, an 11-year-old from Erwin, was unabashed in bragging that he had beaten his 17-year-old sister, Lauren, in the laser tag game. Landon Trivette, 8, of Elizabethon, had a better time at the basketball shooting area than he did in the jousting game, where his brother got the best of him.

But all of the children had smiles on their faces as they described their experience.

“It’s more for younger children, but I went in the laser tag a couple seconds ago and I had a lot of fun,” Lauren said. “I had a lot of fun on the bungee jump.”

Her brother interrupts her, wanting to talk about the results of the laser tag.

“You got beat up,” Jacob said.

“I did,” she admitted in a way only a loving big sister would. “He kicked my butt.

Jacob spared no details about this thrashing.

“She didn’t know how to work the laser gun,” he said. “Another kid came in with the same color weapon as me. So me and him teamed up on her and, well. slaughtered here a lot. I show no one mercy. Usually, when you’re in war, you don’t give anybody a chance.”

Lauren said she has a lot of fun socializing at the Apple Festival but said the games make the experience more enjoyable. Describing the bungee jump, she said, “You get really excited. I guess it’s an adrenaline rush you don’t normally get.”

Landon said his favorite thing in the children’s area is the spot where he can shoot basketballs. His reason was simple; “Because I always get to win things.” He was looking forward to taking part in another inflatable that had obstacles.

Matthew Trivette, who lives in Elizabethton but runs a business in Erwin, was here with Landon and his other son, was impressed by the size of the children’s area.

“I was just looking for them to have a good time and spend a little bit of time with them,” he said. “They like going out and having a good time.

Leslie and Brandon Clark of Johnson City came to the festival with their 17-month-old son, Brandon Jr. and watched as he bounced in one inflatable and maneuvered his body around another one that featured public safety elements. He gave his parents fist bumps. Mrs. Clark calls her son a “daredevil.”

The couple, who are expecting their second child in three months, came separately to the festival before they were married, but Brandon said it means more now.

“Seeing the excitement and the fun that he’s having, that’s what makes it so fun to come,” he said. “I mean, I enjoy the music and walking around and talking with my wife and stuff, but seeing him get to play and do, he loves it. That’s what it’s all about right there.”

The Clarks find the festival to be very family friendly. He called it “very Christian oriented.”

A new addition to the festival this year was a stage in the children’s area where the Unicoi County High School drama department conducted programs for youths that were interactive. They included a Hannah Montana skit, a joke time and a jailhouse rock skit. Amanda Delp, executive director of the Unicoi County Chamber of Commerce, said the stage was a major success.

“It was fantastic, “ she said. “Lori Wright and the drama department did a great job with coordinating the entertainment on that stage.

Delp said attendance was good for a Friday, especially in the morning. When the sky turned dirt, it got windy and it appeared as if rain was coming, the crowd lessened. She figured today, the last day of the festival, should attract a good crowd if the weather is good as it is predicted.