Do you have an amazing apple recipe? Put it to the test at the 2025 NC Apple Festival – Apple Recipe Contest. This event will be held on Friday, August 29th at the Henderson County Cooperative Extension Office followed by an awards ceremony that will be held on Apple Festival Main Stage in downtown Hendersonville. Entry is free and there will be prizes for 1st place in all categories and ribbons for 2nd and 3rd place winners in all categories.

Read below on how to enter the Apple Recipe Contest: 

• Any interested individual may enter the contest.
• Recipe entry must be submitted online by August 25, 2025.
• Participants must bring the entire finished product to the Henderson County Cooperative Extension Office (100 Jackson Park Rd., Hendersonville, NC, 28791) between 9-10am on Friday, August 29th. 
• Judging will be from 10-11:30am
• Winners will be announced during the award ceremony at 12pm on the Mainstage of the Apple Festival in front of the Historic Courthouse during the Opening Ceremony of the Apple Festival.
• Please note: these times are subject to change slightly based on Apple Festival scheduling, participants will be notified of these changes and they will be reflected here.
•  Entries will be divided into five (5) categories as follows:
  • Bread – sweet or savory in a loaf or muffin form
  • Pies and Pastries – must have pie crust or pastry dough component
  • Desserts – includes cakes & cookies
  • Kids – any recipe made by a child who is 12 years of age or younger (with adult supervision)
  • Local Business  – a local business in Henderson County that produces an item in one of the categories above (bread, pies, pastries, desserts) - this category is reserved for professionally trained pastry chefs as well.
• Dishes are judged based on the following categories: taste, texture, appearance, creativity and contains at least 2 cups of apples or 1 cup of applesauce.
• Please note, the Local Business category does not win prizes, but instead a winner's certificate to display at their business and bragging rights as the Best Apple Recipe in Hendersonville! Additionally, the Local Business category does not need to provide as a recipe as we understand this can be proprietary information. There is only 1 winner for the Local Business Category.
• No items requiring refrigeration will be accepted due to lack of refrigeration facilities.
• Entries must be covered with some type of wrap to protect from insects.
• Individuals may enter more than one recipe, but each recipe must be in a different category and must be submitted online individually.
• Recipes must be original (not copyrighted).
• Standard measuring units should be used in all recipes.
• Variety of apple used should be included in written recipe.
• All recipes must contain at least 2 cups of apples or 1 cup applesauce and be freshly homemade.
• All recipes become the property of the Apple Festival Committee and N.C. Cooperative Extension, Henderson County Center. Entry constitutes permission to edit, modify, adapt, publish, and otherwise use the recipe in any way.
• The judges’ decisions are final for interpretation of any and all rules related to the contest. Winners will be announced onsite, as well as on Facebook shortly after the event.
• If participants are unable to pick up their award at the Main Stage ceremony, awards will be held at the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Henderson County Center.

If you have any questions, please contact our Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, Abigail Pierce, at abigail_pierce@ncsu.edu or call our office at (828) 697-4891.