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Image(Ithaca, NY) The 26th annual Downtown Ithaca Apple Harvest Festival is expanding in several ways, to include more crafters and food vendors; tours of haunted downtown Ithaca, three full days of music and performances, and a committed effort to composting.

The festival runs from Friday, September 26th through Sunday, September 28th, 2008, and will be held on the Ithaca Commons. The Tompkins Trust Company, who will be hosting activities in their lobby during the festival, sponsors it.

It promises to offer more for everyone to do and discover in downtown. 34 craft vendors, 22 food vendors, a dozen apple farmers, wineries and bakeries, the children’s carnival, an apple pie-eating competition and 3 days of music and performers are just the start! Brand new to the Apple Harvest Festival this year is a collaboration with the History Center in Tompkins County to kick off a series of tours of “haunted downtown Ithaca.” The 26th annual Apple Harvest Festival is also proud to announce that all food vendors will use utensils made entirely of composted materials.

Music will be a part of the festival all 3 days. Scheduled performers include Trevor McDonald, Radio London, Black Eyed Susies, The Caribe Jazz All Stars, Johnny Russo and many more, with additional acts still being scheduled. Local favorites and Apple Harvest Festival traditions such as belly dancing troupes, ICircus from Ithaca College, Nate the Great, and variety comic Daniel Forlano will also make appearances.

Apple pie fans are strongly encouraged to participate in the apple pie eating contest on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in the amphitheater. Wine connoisseurs should visit the Sheldrake Point Winery booth to sample the vineyard’s new apple wine, which will make its world premiere at the festival. Other wineries include Ashley Lynn, Eve’s Cidery, and Thousand Islands Winery.

The History Center in Tompkins County will use the 26th Annual Apple Harvest Festival to kick off the first of a series of month long tours of “haunted downtown Ithaca” on Friday the 26th and Saturday the 27th at 7:00 and 7:15 p.m. Each tour begins at the Bernie Milton Pavilion on the Ithaca Commons and lasts approximately one hour. Tickets are $10.00 in advance and $15.00 at the time of the tour. They’re available at the History Center or the downtown information booth on the Commons. Space is limited. Reservations are suggested.

Food vendors at this year’s Apple Harvest Festival have all committed to using compostable utensils and the Downtown Alliance will have manned composting stations set up in an effort to make the festival a more “green” event. Downtown Ithaca Alliance Events Coordinator Vicki Taylor says, “We’re honored by the support the community has shown the Apple Harvest Festival for a quarter-century and we certainly look forward to seeing everyone again this year. Festival-goers have told us that preserving and protecting our environment are important to them and responding to their concerns is important to us. We’re thrilled that our food vendors have agreed to use compostable utensils and we hope the public will help by using the compost stations that’ll be set up.”

Actual festival hours are 12:00 to 7:00 p.m. Friday the 26th, and 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday the 27th and 28th. The 100 blocks of North and South Cayuga Streets and West State Street will be closed on Saturday and Sunday during festival hours, to accommodate the craft fair and children’s carnival, which will include a Ferris wheel, giant slide and rock climbing wall.

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