PHILLIPSTON – Visitors arrived early and often for the 8th Annual Appleseed Country Fair, held each year over the long Labor Day weekend. The event, sponsored by Visit North Central Massachusetts and celebrated at Phillipston’s Red Apple Farm featured three days of entertainment, agricultural displays, friendly farm animals, vendors offering a wide variety of items – from honey to jewelry, hay rides, and, of course, plenty of food – not to mention tethered hot air balloon rides.
David Ginisi, the marketing and communications director for Visit North Central Massachusetts, was busy trying to keep things organized, but did take a moment to discuss both the organization and the event.
“The job of Visit North Central Massachusetts is really to promote the region as a destination,” said Ginisi, “as a place to live, work, and grow. The Appleseed Country Fair is one of our ‘pride-and-joys’ under the Visit North Central Massachusetts umbrella. It really gives attendees a taste of the region.”
“Fall is one of our biggest seasons, of course,” he continued. “North Central Massachusetts in general is such a popular fall destination. So, to really kick off the fall season is very important to the region. Our number one goal is to bring new people in to support our destinations, our businesses; Red Apple Farm being one of our biggest. Al Rose, the owner of Red Apple Farm, happens to chair our Visit North Central Massachusetts board. We’re very involved in supporting and promoting our businesses here. We owe it to them. Essentially, they and their ancestors are the ones who put North Central Massachusetts on the map.”
“This is our 8th Annual Appleseed Country Fair,” said Ginisi. “We’ve done it every year at Red Apple Farm, and each year it gets bigger and better. This year we have the balloon rides. We have a revamped Kids Zone. We have a dog show this year. But the whole point is regional pride. All the vendors here are local vendors who craft things, who sell things, from food to little knick-knacks. Everything here is important to the region and we want to showcase them.”
“Red Apple Farm in particular is a major role-player in the region,” Ginisi explained. “Al Rose is fifth-generation here, I want to say. Al understands what it takes to be a community leader, and Al supports a lot of local businesses. That’s why he and his family are so well-respected. He is a major supporter of some of the smaller orchards, but he also understands the big picture, the importance of being involved in a regional tourism council.”
According to Ginisi, Visit North Central Massachusetts is the tourism arm for the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. The VNCM is a membership-based organization, he added, noting the group has upwards of 300 members in 27 cities and towns from Athol to Ayer and Clinton to Gardner.
“We have a job on the tourism side,” he said, “to promote the consumer market; businesses like Red Apple Farm, Wachusett Brewery, Gardner Ale House, Wachusett Mountain, Davis Farmland. These really are businesses that put the area on the map. So, we want to promote them as destinations. We also operated the Johnny Appleseed Visitors Center off Route 2 in Lancaster.”