UNION, W. Va. -While pumpkins may be the produce typically associated with the fall season, apples are another big example of a fall fruit, with apple cider being a favorite autumn treat for many people this time of year. However, if you’ve ever wondered how an apple becomes cider, an annual two-day event in Union hopes to demonstrate just that.
Old World Libations, a local farm winery, makes drinks throughout the year using fruit from the Two Virginias, including grapes they grow themselves. Seven years ago, they began holding their annual “Cider Festival” to bolster the community and give people the chance to see and try some of their unpasteurized cider before it becomes hard cider, wine, or mead.
Since its inception, it has grown in scale and participation. The event features cider-making demonstrations, wine tastings, food trucks, and local vendors. The owner and operator of Old World Libations, Scott Ernst, says attendance this year was incredible, with old friends and newcomers coming from out of state… here to see the natural way cider is made.
“When we first started, obviously, it was a very small scale, and we were pulling mostly from locals, so Union, Lewisburg. Now, we got people coming up every year from Florida, Ohio, you name it. What we have found, is that there is a large, let’s call it transient folks, a group of folks who come through this county, and they are now kind of making this their destination through October…” says Ernst.
Ernst says they plan to keep holding the Cider Festival year after year. However, this weekend was your last chance *for the year* to try some of their cider, but if you’d like to buy some of their hard beverages that they keep stocked year-round, they are usually open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. You can find more information, including their schedule, on their website, Facebook, and Instagram.
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