Do you have an amazing apple recipe? Put it to the test at the 2026 NC Apple Festival – Apple Recipe Contest.
This event will be held on Friday, September 4th 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, 2nd and 3rd place winners in all the categories.
Read below on how to enter the Apple Recipe Contest:
OFFICIAL RULES AND REGULATIONS
- Any interested individual may enter the contest.
- Recipe entry must be submitted online by August 31, 2026.
- 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, September 4th.
- 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 four (4) 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)
- 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.
- No items requiring refrigeration will be accepted due to lack of refrigeration facilities.
- 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.
