This year there were an army of vendors on hand, supplementing the local plaza merchants. Tinkess Photo

IROQUOIS – The arrival of September once again brought the South Dundas community together in Iroquois as Applefest returned Sat., Sept. 19, for a full day of food, entertainment, family activities and community spirit.

What has become one of Iroquois’ signature annual events offered something for virtually every age group, with activities beginning in the morning and continuing into the evening.

The event combined familiar Applefest traditions with a full schedule of entertainment and activities, including a pancake breakfast courtesy of the Anglican Diocese of South Dundas, a vendor market, children’s activities, live music, a talent show, a chicken barbecue, the appearance of the Ontario Provincial Police Golden Helmets precision motorcycle team and an evening fireworks display.

Applefest has long been a fixture on the Iroquois community calendar, developing from a celebration associated with the area’s apple-growing heritage into a broader community festival.

The event has also become an opportunity for local organizations, businesses, volunteers and residents to showcase the community while providing an annual gathering point for people from Iroquois and surrounding communities.

The day began with the delicious pancake breakfast, leaving visitors, now with a full stomach, an opportunity to browse the vendor market, where local businesses, organizations and artisans offered a variety of products and services.

For families, the festival included a kids’ zone featuring bouncy castles and other activities designed to keep younger visitors occupied throughout the day.

The festival’s entertainment lineup continued throughout the afternoon.

One of the highlights was the appearance of the OPP Golden Helmets, whose precision motorcycle riding has become a popular attraction at community events across Ontario. The team brought its combination of motorcycle skills, close-formation riding and demonstrations to Iroquois, giving spectators an opportunity to see the officers perform a carefully choreographed display. County Road Two, North of the Iroquois Shopping Plaza, was blocked off to allow the team the room they needed to display their skills.

Music was also an important part of the day’s festivities, with perennial favourites Eddie and the Stingrays providing live entertainment.

The festival also provided an opportunity for local performers to take the stage during the talent show, giving community members a chance to demonstrate their musical and performance abilities in front of a hometown audience.

Food remained central to the day’s activities, with the Lions chicken barbecue providing one of the festival’s familiar culinary traditions. The combination of breakfast, barbecue and other food offerings, including a chicken wing eating contest,  helped keep visitors on site throughout the day.

Another major attraction was the presence of  the Golden Gears Car Club, who arrived in large numbers with some of the most interesting and well preserved and restored vehicles anywhere.

As afternoon turned to evening, the character of the festival changed from a daytime community gathering to an evening celebration.

The day’s activities concluded with fireworks, providing a final spectacle for those who remained in Iroquois after the daytime events had ended.

While individual attractions draw people to Applefest, the event’s longevity has been closely tied to the involvement of community volunteers and organizations, but this year, located in the recently redeveloped shopping plaza and adjacent green spaces, the event seemed even more special.

Previous Applefest celebrations have demonstrated how many different groups contribute to the festival, from organizations providing food and entertainment to business groups, sponsors and volunteers all helping with activities and logistics.

The 2026 edition continued the tradition of the festival, bringing together food, music, entertainment, family activities and community organizations for another September gathering, just growing in size and scope.

For Iroquois, Applefest is about more than apples. It is an annual opportunity for residents to reconnect, for visitors to experience the community and for the many volunteers who make the event possible to demonstrate what can be accomplished when a community works together. Some activities have certainly been

With the final fireworks lighting the sky Saturday evening, another chapter was added to the long-running Iroquois Applefest tradition, proving once again that Iroquois is “The best little town by a dam site!