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The Murphysboro Apple Festival 
A community tradition for over 70 years!

Growing strong

The Murphysboro Apple Festival is Southern Illinois’ oldest and largest alcohol-free festival, drawing more than 45,000 visitors each year.

 

Fun for everyone

Generally held the 2nd weekend in September, this four-day event packs downtown Murphysboro with family-friendly activities, including free entertainment, carnival rides, pageants, concessions, a car show, and a menu of apple-themed treats.

 

Core Traditions

The Murphysboro Apple Festival is celebrating its 73rd year in 2024! We're proud to have welcomed millions of people to Murphysboro over the years to share traditions both old and new.

FAQs

The Grand Parade traditionally steps off at 11 am on Saturday during the Murphysboro Apple Festival. The date in 2024 is Saturday, September 14th. The parade route follows Walnut Street and stretches from 21st Street to 7th Street. The Grand Parade draws around 15,000 visitors each year, so we recommend that you arrive early. The parade typically lasts 2-2.5 hours.

For those taking part in the parade, line-up is at 9:30 am at the following locations:

  • Floats/units: Line-Up by unit number around Murphysboro Middle School (2125 Spruce Street)
  • Marching Bands line-up at Longfellow Park (Between 2000 and 2100 block of Logan Street)
  • All Participants: Please make sure to follow the detailed directions for the line-up sent to you after you registered.

For more information, visit the Grand Parade Event Page.

You can watch the Grand Parade anywhere along the parade route on Walnut street, from 21st street to 7th street.
Please be respectful of the private property of homes and businesses located along the parade route and do not block driveways or cross streets until police officers begin road closures.

We have a special accessible viewing area for those with disabilities. It is located in front of the Murphysboro Event Center, directly adjacent to the handicapped parking spaces in the Regions Bank parking lot (1301 Walnut Street).

Public parking lots are located at:

  • NE Corner of Locust and 11th Streets.
  • 200 block between North 11th and North 12th streets, south of the post office.
  • Public parking spots along Walnut Street and cross-city streets as allowed by law. Please respect all posted 'No Parking' signs.

Note: Parking is prohibited along Walnut Street during the Kiddie Parade Friday afternoon (3 pm) and from Friday night until the end of the Grand Parade Saturday afternoon. When parking on city streets, please do not block driveways, alleys, or entrances to parking lots.

Handicapped parking is available during the Festival in the Regions Bank parking lot (1301 Walnut St). There are four spaces available on the west side of Regions Bank and five spaces available on the south side. These spaces will be available after 4 pm Wednesday through Friday, and all day Saturday during the Apple Festival.

Visit the Kiwanis General Store in the concessions area near the Appletime Stage for locally grown apples and apple treats, including apple cider, apple butter, applesauce, smoothies, and gourmet caramel apples.

Visit the Appletime Bakery on south 13th Street for freshly baked apple treats, including cookies, apple strudel and streusel, cinnamon rolls, and apple pie (whole or by the slice).

Place your bid on Champion Apple Pies and Apple Butter during our Apple Pie & Apple Butter Contest Auction. Our auctioneer will be calling bids on Thursday night from the Appletime Stage.

If you’re in the mood to visit a working orchard while you’re in the area for the Apple Festival, nearby choices include our generous providers Mileur Orchard on route 149 west of Murphysboro and Rendleman Orchards on Route 127 south, near Alto Pass.

A limited number of Advance Ride Tickets for the Apple Festival Funland are made available for cash-only purchase approximately 1 month before the Festival. Tickets are only available at the Murphysboro Apple Festival Office, located at 110 South 14th Street. After advance ride tickets sell out, ride tickets may be purchased on-site at the Apple Festival Funland during operating hours.

Other ticketed events:

  • A Taste of Murphysboro Only available at the Murphysboro Apple Festival Office. Proceeds from this event fund the Murphysboro Apple Festival Scholarship.
  • Drums at Appletime – Cash-only admission fee collected at the gate. No advance ticket sales.
  • Miss Apple Festival and Prince & Princess Pageant - Available for pre-purchase through Eventbrite.

Make sure to look for all on-sale date announcements on our Facebook Page!

Buy a T-shirt, hat, button, a mug, or a Captain Applesauce souvenir to commemorate your visit to the Murphysboro Apple Festival at the Appletime Emporium, in the middle of the carnival area just off Walnut street at South 13th Street. Please note, the Emporium is closed during the Grand Parade.

Some Appletime Emporium items will be made available to purchase from the Murphysboro Apple Festival Office about 1 month before the opening of the Festival when the Office sets regular business hours.

Make sure to look for all on-sale date announcements on our Facebook Page!

We’re so glad you asked! As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Murphysboro Apple Festival, Inc. is qualified to receive tax-deductible donations and bequests. Please consider making a donation to support our mission to provide an annual family-friendly community street festival for residents and visitors to southern Illinois.

Donate online here.

We are a volunteer-run organization and enjoy welcoming new faces every year! Here are a few suggestions:

  • Become one of our Partners - many sponsorship opportunities are available
  • Recruit your group to volunteer or participate in one of our many events or contests
  • Participate in or attend one of our more than 30 contests and events
  • Join one of our committees and help shape the future of the Murphysboro Apple Festival

Please contact us about how you’d like to contribute to one of southern Illinois’ richest traditions.

Thank You to Our Partners

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