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WESTMINSTER, SOUTH CAROLINA
The South Carolina Apple Festival comes to Westminster and Long Creek, South Carolina during the week following Labor Day each year. Just as the leaves turn from green to orange and red, locals and visitors head west along Highway 76 through downtown Westminster to Long Creek to celebrate and enjoy the local apple harvest. This part of Oconee County is the heart of Oconee’s once-booming apple growing industry that saw millions of bushels of Oconee apples enjoyed nationwide.
Originating in Kazakhstan, apples arrived in North America around the 17th century and quickly spread through colonial farms and Native American trade routes. Apples became a regular feature in small family farms throughout Oconee. Many of these farmers would grow a small apple crop, load their fresh and dried apples onto a wagon, and travel into town every fall to sell their produce. By the early 20th century Oconee farmers began recognizing the potential for greater success with apple growing. Growers implemented innovative orchard planting practices, built new apple packing facilities, created marketing co-operatives, and utilized local and migrant labor to create a full-fledged apple industry centered in Long Creek, SC. The elevation and climate of the Long Creek and Mountain Rest areas greatly contributed to the apple industry’s success in Oconee.
In 1961, Westminster Mayor Cecil Sandifer proposed the first South Carolina Apple Festival to celebrate the fruits of the industry’s labor. Over the next 60 years, the South Carolina Apple Festival has featured an array of community activities, including a parade, rodeo, baking contest, pageants, the Apple Bowl football game between Walhalla and West-Oak High Schools, street dances, and arts & crafts. Despite a decline in apple production during the 1990s and 2000s, the apple industry in Oconee has persisted by shifting its focus to agritourism and “U-Pick” experiences alongside traditional roadside apple stands featuring apples and apple products.
Map: Apple Production in Oconee County, South Carolina
This map, showing Oconee County apple packing sheds in the 1970s, highlights the proliferation of apple production in Oconee County. At this time there were twelve apple packing sheds in Oconee. Thanks to Oconee’s unique climate, local growers were able to ship Oconee’s apples to markets around the world 2 weeks earlier than competing regions like Washington and New York, resulting in a significant economic advantage. Highway 76 quickly became lined with apple orchards and roadside apple stands. Tourists soon made it a point to travel through Long Creek to buy apples on their way to mountain getaways each fall.
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Source: Pendleton District Historical and Recreational Commission,South Carolina Apple Festival Association, and Long Creek Apple Growers.
C. 1970s.
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From Farm to Table: An Industry Is Born
The journey from a few trees on small family farms to a booming apple industry required good timing, hard work, and innovation. In the years following World War 2, the demand for apples soared, spurred by federally funded school lunch programs, an unprecedented baby boom, and a more globalized economy. Oconee County’s community spirit inspired Long Creek growers to work together, sharing resources to ensure that all growers had access to the necessary equipment and marketing that would send Oconee apples nationwide. Apple packing sheds allowed for mechanized sorting, grading, and packing of apples. The co-operative Long Creek Apple Marketing Authority worked to get Oconee brand apples to markets nationwide.
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Migrant Workers: Essential to Success
The demands of Oconee’s burgeoning apple industry quickly exceeded the local labor supply. Each fall migrant fruit pickers would leave Florida orange groves and head north to Oconee orchards. Because their labor was essential to getting the apples harvested, local community members quickly responded to their needs. Growers provided seasonal housing. Many migrant workers brought wives and children, making child care and education a necessity. Local schools worked to accommodate the influx of Spanish-speaking students, and local churches worked to provide migrant families with other needs like healthcare, clothing, and ministry. Despite some challenges, Oconee’s hospitality and opportunities encouraged many migrant workers to settle in Oconee permanently.
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Interview: Furman & Polly Matheson
Furman and Polly Matheson operated a Long Creek apple orchard and a popular roadside apple stand called “Polly’s Apples”. Mr. Matheson also ran Matheson’s Grocery and the Long Creek Post Office, both fixtures of the Long Creek Community. In this oral history interview from 2006, Furman and Polly discuss their experience growing and selling apples in Oconee.
Click here for a transcript of this interview.
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Photo Gallery: Polly’s Apples and the Apple Industry in Oconee County
The photos below offer a look into life at the Matheson’s orchard and roadside stand and feature some artifacts from local Oconee orchards.
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Sharing in Success: Apple Festival
In 1961, Westminster mayor Cecil Sandifer proposed Apple Festival as a way to celebrate and encourage the local apple industry in Oconee. The first Apple Festival featured a barbeque, tours of local apple orchards, the Miss South Carolina Apple Queen pageant, a golf tournament, parade, a banquet for local apple growers, and the Westminster – Walhalla football game followed by a street dance. In July of that year, the South Carolina Apple Festival Association was chartered to stage the annual festival and promote the growing Oconee apple industry. Cecil Sandifer played a key part in the establishment and organization of the festival, serving as the first president of the South Carolina Apple Festival Association. Apple Festival was an immediate hit; over 7,000 people attended the first Apple Festival parade, cementing it as an Oconee classic for over 60 years.
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Video: Oconee: Golden Corner of South Carolina Apple Scene
Oconee County quickly became synonymous with the apple industry and Apple Festival. The video below from 1969 highlights how important the apple industry and festival had become to all of Oconee, the Golden Corner of South Carolina.
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Interview: Mildred Spearman Discusses Apple Festival
Mildred Spearman has served many roles on the Apple Festival Committee over more than 50 years. Listen to the interview below for her first-hand account of Apple Festival’s early days.
Click here for a transcript of this interview.
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Apple Festival Programs
For the best glimpse back at Apple Festivals of the past, check out these official Apple Festival program booklets. Notice the immense support shown by businesses and communities from all of Oconee County.
Click on the program covers below to view programs from past Apple Festivals!
Original program booklets from Oconee History Museum’s collection, Oconee County Public Library (Westminster Branch), and Mildred Spearman.
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Apple Festival Traditions
Each year Apple Festival brings celebration to Oconee County, and many of the festival’s events and traditions have become iconic Oconee events themselves. In 1964, the Apple Grower of the Year award was established to honor outstanding Oconee apple growers. The first recipient was Charlie C. Moore, operator of Round Mountian Orchards. Growers were recognized at the annual Apple Festival banquet, which often featured state and local political figures and civic leaders. In addition to the annual banquet, locals also looked forward to the yearly face-off between the Walhalla High School and Westminster/West-Oak High School football teams dubbed “The Apple Bowl.” Others look forward to the annual golf tournament, parade, pageant, and rodeo.
There is no doubt that Apple Festival has produced many important traditions in Oconee County. These traditions have also led to some fascinating pieces of memorabilia throughout the years. The gallery below features a few interesting items from Oconee History Museum’s collection.
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Video: 1962 Apple Festival Parade
One of Apple Festival’s most iconic events is the parade. Local leaders, politicians, marching bands, and the South Carolina Apple Queen are the highlights of the parade. Watch the video below to see a recording from 1962’s Apple Festival parade. Notice the extravagant floats and participation by schools from all of Oconee County and its neighbors.
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Interview: Mildred Spearman on the South Carolina Apple Queen Pageant
Perhaps the most significant Apple Festival tradition is the Miss South Carolina Apple Queen Pageant. Westminster hosted women from across South Carolina each year competing for the title of Apple Queen. Many Apple Queens went on to compete in higher level pageants like Miss South Carolina. Listen to the interview with Mildred Spearman for a colorful look at the Apple Queen pageant experience.
Click here for a transcript of this interview.
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Apples in Oconee Today
In the late 1980s local apple growers experienced 3 consecutive seasons of freezing weather in late Spring that devastated local apple crops. Throughout the 1990s, increasing global competition in the apple market caused further damage to the local industry. The economic risks and hard work of apple growing became less appealing to younger generations, and many sought to make their livings in other careers. Today, a handful of growers continue the apple growing traditions in Oconee County. These growers have found that diversification is helpful, growing other types of fruit like peaches and berries, and selling secondary products like jams, preserves, cider, wine, and even legal moonshine. Many growers now also participate in the growing agri-tourism industry by not just growing apples but also inviting visitors to their orchards for tours and fun activities. The South Carolina Apple Festival continues to support and encourage the local apple growers and to celebrate this unique part of Oconee County’s agricultural history.
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Apple Festival!
apple orchards!
Enjoy Oconee apples and join us at Apple Festival to truly understand why we celebrate in Oconee.
Apple Festival is in Westminster, South Carolina on September 8 – 9!
Oconee History Museum would like to thank the South Carolina Apple Festival Committee, Oconee County Public Library, Mildred Spearman, and Janice Matheson for their assistance with this exhibit and digitization project!
Additional recognition and thanks to Alexis Thomas (Clemson University), Josh Johnson (Lake Hartwell Country), Jennifer Moss (Oconee History Museum), and Leslie Hagerty (Oconee History Museum).
Funding for the Growth Grants has been provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
