About

Mark your calendars, the Mars Applefest is held the first Saturday in October. And as should be apparent, this annual tradition is about, well…apples. So naturally there are a lot of apples. In pecks and totes and half bushels, these arboreal fruits come fresh from the orchard. As such, visitors come from near and far. The town may be small, but the festival is so, so popular. Oh, and visitors be prepared: fresh apple butter, pressed cider and apples baked are represented with gusto. Not to be missed is the oh-so-good apple dumplings.

At Applefest there is a great craft show with over 90 vendors selling arts and crafts. This is the type of show where there is plenty of room for both quality crafts and more handmade items. Everything from fine jewelry and paintings to more quaint decorations and trinkets are on display. There are boosters for local organizations and kid-friendly knick-knacks. In addition to the great crafts there are over a half dozen bands, troupes, and performers taking the stage during the festival. Everything from blues and R&B to folk and acoustic are represented. There is also a farmers market with a collection of end-of-season harvest. 

Hosted by the Rich-Mar Rotary Clubs, a tremendous amount of outpouring from the community makes Applefest a reality. This is especially true of the local churches and other non-profit organizations who host tents with fun kid-centered things to do, such as face painting and games.  Being a town called Mars, there is a strange propensity to the extra-terrestrial, including a flying saucer in the town square!  This little piece of Americana is much beloved and a popular flashpoint in the festivities. Visitors of the town and the festival have the chance for an awesome photo opportunity!

Admission is free and parking is in town with a shuttle provided.

The Rich-Mar Rotary is synonymous with service in our community, in the workplace, and throughout the country. Rotarians build goodwill and peace, provide humanitarian service, and encourage high ethical standards in all vocations.

The Rich-Mar Rotary meets Wednesday for lunch at 12pm at the Treesdale Country Club. The new Rich-Mar Rotary Satellite Club meets in the evenings. Under the leadership of Dan Goss, the Rich-Mar Rotary is active with 60 members but is always looking for dedicated men and women to become Rotarians.

The Rich-Mar Rotary has been active in our local community for many yeasr with events that help raise funds for them to share their good will with those in needs, including their annual:

- Golf Outing

- Pancake Breakfast

- Mars Applefest

- District Turkey Food Benefit

The money that the Rich-Mar Rotary dedicates itself to raise is spread generously throughout our community and across the world for places like:

Adams Township Park Pavilion

College/Vocational Scholarship Programs

Crutches for Africa

Elementary Dictionaries

Habitat for Humanity

High School Student of the Month Program

Light of Life Rescue Mission

The Lighthouse Foundation

Mars Planet Foundation

MHY Family Services

Pine Richland Opportunity Funds (PROF)

Pine Richland Youth Center

Polio Eradication (this is a Rotary International initiative)

Roadside Cleanup

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA)