Annual Grinter Applefest planned Saturday

Grinter Place, 78th and K-32, will have its annual Applefest from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at 1400 S. 78th St., Kansas City, Kansas. (File photo by Mary Rupert)

The annual Grinter Applefest will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at the historic Grinter Place, 1400 S. 78th St., Kansas City, Kansas.

The free event will have free parking and is open to the public.

Friends of Grinter will hold the annual event at the historic state museum and at the Grinter Barn at 78th and K-32.

Entertainment, vendor booths, food, tours of the historic Grinter House, historic character portrayals and an apple pie contest are some of the highlights of the event. The apple pie contest will be judged by local officials. Children’s activities and games also are planned.

Descendants of Annie Grinter from the Kansas Delaware tribe will tell about their history and do a “bean dance” and drumming ceremony at Applefest, and will give away samples of Indian fry bread.

The “Fashionably Late Band” will entertain at Applefest.

Historic character portrayals will include “John Brown Speaks,” portrayed by Kerry Alterbernd; a trader from the mid-1800s, portrayed by Wade Davis; and the Zane Sisters, a portrayal from the Wyandot Nation of Kansas tribe.

Performances also are scheduled by Kristi’s Academy of Dance and Gymnastics.

Food will be available for purchase by VFW Post 846 and the Cajunation Food Truck.

The Grinter Quilting Bee will be demonstrating and showing their opportunity quilt, which will be given away in January 2020.

More than 40 vendors will sell crafts and other items at the Applefest. There also will be booths on hand about local history, and nonprofits will have booths describing their services and how they help the community.

For more information, see https://www.facebook.com/1400so78street/.

  • Information from Pat Spencer, Friends of Grinter