Parking areas filled, shuttle buses ran continuously and visitors crowded Weston’s historic streets Saturday and Sunday as Applefest drew what organizers described as one of the festival’s largest crowds in years.

At one point during the Oct. 3-4 festival, approximately 350 vehicles were parked at Snow Creek, where Police Chief Kelly Clark said about seven busloads of people were waiting to be transported into town. Parking also filled downtown, at West Platte and at local churches.

Although no official attendance count was available, organizers estimated the crowd was at least 50% larger than last year’s. Clark said the festival brought noticeably more people to Weston than during the previous two years.

The turnout was especially visible among food vendors. Drunchies Supper Club owner Jonah Vandel said the business roughly doubled both its sales and the number of burgers it prepared this year. We Love Brats, which has attended Applefest for more than 15 years, reported its busiest year and a new single-day sales record.

The Makery Market also reported more customers than last year, with its caramel apple sundae emerging as its biggest seller. Weston Christian Church prepared 6,000 of its signature apple dumplings and nearly sold out.

The crowds found dozens of craft and merchandise booths, food vendors, live music and Apple Alley. A planning dashboard listed 83 merchants and accepted vendors requiring 94 booth spaces.

Family-friendly activities centered on the park, where children’s activities and play areas offered younger visitors entertainment away from the busiest vendor areas. The activities were organized by Julie Adams, Katy Gaines and Rhonda McKinnon.

The Applefest parade began at 10 a.m. Saturday and brought local organizations, public safety agencies, school groups, veterans and historic vehicles through downtown Weston. The procession included Weston police and fire personnel, Cub Scout Pack 249, the Missouri Sons of the American Revolution Color Guard, the grand marshal and an Apple Train tribute to Floyd Liberty.

Other entries included Historic Weston Orchard, Dr. Applebutter, Weston city officials, the Centennial Cannon, the West Platte band, cheerleaders, pom squad and flag team, veterans organizations, the Field of Dreams Players, the Weston Theatre Group, horseback riders, antique motorcycles, military vehicles, an antique firetruck, Bigfoot and a stagecoach.

Live entertainment continued throughout the weekend. Saturday’s performers included Jeremy McNew, Country Classics and Marde Brooks. Jack Summers, Country Classics and Good Sam Club performed Sunday.

Behind the attractions was a community effort that began long before visitors arrived.

“When they say it takes a village, it is certainly true with Applefest planning and implementing,” festival chair Glenna Nance said.

Nance led this year’s planning with co-chairs Jo Thomas and Mel Beverlin. She estimated approximately 100 people volunteered during the festival, compared with about 65 volunteers on her list last year.

The work began well before the first shuttle arrived. Volunteers and merchants reported downtown at 5 a.m. Saturday to erect tents and prepare booths. Approximately 15 West Platte FCCLA students were expected to assist with setup, while members of the Masons, Rotary Club and Scouts helped manage parking.

Chamber office manager Lisa Eylar worked until midnight Friday and returned at 5 a.m. Saturday to help prepare for the opening, according to Nance.

Snow Creek provided its property for satellite parking at no charge. Four buses rotated among Snow Creek, West Platte and downtown throughout the weekend, moving visitors into the festival as parking spaces became scarce.

Clark began preparing for Applefest in early August, coordinating schedules and assignments for officers from Weston, Platte City, Platte County and DeKalb County. He said the additional officers helped make Weston one of the safest places in Platte County during the weekend.

City public works employees also spent the week placing signs, moving barriers, positioning dumpsters and preparing parking areas. Heavy rain delayed some grading work until Friday, leaving crews little time to finish before the festival opened.

Clark said the turnout was encouraging but also demonstrated one of Applefest’s primary limitations.

“I’d love to see more people, but we’ve got to find a place to put them,” Clark said.

Weston’s narrow historic streets and limited parking leave little room for expansion. The chief said even adding more buses would not completely solve the problem because the community still needs places for visitors to leave their vehicles. A missed servicing of the portable toilets was another issue organizers identified for improvement.

Despite the logistical pressure, Clark said the weekend was largely successful and that most vendors he spoke with reported stronger sales than in previous years.

The festival’s community effort extended beyond parking and public safety.

At Weston Christian Church, teams of approximately 25 people worked during each of the three Saturdays before Applefest to prepare the apple dumplings. About 50 volunteers participated in some part of the process, from peeling Jonathan apples and making dough to assembling, baking, freezing and serving the dumplings.

Nearby, volunteers spent approximately six hours cooking 40 gallons of prepared apples into apple butter. Patrick Raney, who introduced the Dr. Applebutter character this year, has participated in Applefest in some capacity since childhood. Wyatt Larson said he has helped make apple butter since he was about 6, continuing a tradition that has involved at least three generations of his family.

For visitors, those traditions helped distinguish the festival from other fall events.

Phil Stone of Maryville came to Weston for a lunch date without knowing Applefest was underway. He said he was surprised by the scale of the festival, including the remote parking and shuttle system, but was pleased to find the fall atmosphere he and his companions wanted.

The combination of large crowds, strong vendor sales and favorable weather made the weekend one of Weston’s busiest since before 2019, according to Nance. But she said its success ultimately belonged to the volunteers, business owners, public employees and community organizations that spent months preparing for two days of festivities.

“Weston is just that kind of community,” Nance said.