Jackson’s Orchard and Nursery has provided good family memories for Darlene Bieber.

In fact, she and her family were involved in the early days of the business’ annual Apple Festival, which has been held for more than 25 years.

“When the Apple Fest first started, my husband and I were good friends with (orchard owners) the Jacksons, and they asked us to help out. In the beginning, they had friends and family volunteer because they didn’t know what the turnout would be,” she said. “Back then, we had craft booths and concessions. My job was the caramel apples. My husband helped direct parking. At the end of the day we helped clean up. Someone fed everybody each night. It was a good time. It grew and took on a life of its own.”

The festival has definitely grown a lot since then, orchard owner Bill Jackson agreed.

“In October, we have trouble parking cars,” he said. “At Apple Fest, we can park about 500 cars.”

The crowds will return for the festival, which will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday at Jackson’s Orchard, 1280 Slim Island Road.

“We’re constantly changing and fine-tuning (the festival). We use Labor Day weekend as a kickoff to the fall season,” Jackson said. “It’s the time apples are starting to get ripe. We have the first apple cider of the year.”

The day will feature concessions, including fried pies and caramel apples and samplings of items such as apple butter. People can pick more than 20 varieties of apples available at the orchard.

“We have a barn full of red and yellow apples,” Jackson said.

The winner of the contest to name the four 60-foot slides at the orchard will also be announced. The playground will be free.

“That will be the first weekend for those. We got them to entertain the kids and enhance the agri-tourism – entertaining farming,” Jackson said. “City folks like to come to a farm, ride on the wagons and play. This is another thing kids can play on and have a good time.”

Bieber said the orchard provides a good time for families. Her children were too young to attend the festival when she and her husband first started volunteering, but they went when they got older.

“After our children got up in grade school, they wanted to help, too,” she said. “My daughter would help with the caramel apples. My son would stand with my husband to direct traffic.”

The family continues to go regularly when they are together with their adult children.

“We go there quite often. I like the atmosphere and the tradition,” she said. “It’s always good to get out. It’s beautiful up there. It’s locally grown produce. It’s good to have that.”

The festival was icing on the cake for Jackson, who bought the farm years ago as “a sideline.”

“All it had was peaches. I figured we’d do it in the summer time and it would be extra money,” he said. “Then we planted apples. It has been full-time ever since.”

Jackson believes people will enjoy the Apple Festival.

“We want to invite people out and show them a good time,” he said.

— For more information, call Jackson’s Orchard at 781-5303 or visit www.jacksonsorchard.com.