By Glenn Rolfe

BRIDGEVILLE — Apple-Scrapple, unquestionably one of the most popular festivals in the region, returns to Bridgeville this fall following a year off due to COVID-19.

With emphasis on health and public safety, the two-day extravaganza runs Friday and Saturday, featuring live entertainment, a pageant, a carnival, a car show, a health and safety fair and a street dance, plus scores of vendors and crafters and a wide variety of food.

The hope of the Apple-Scrapple Festival’s all-volunteer organizing committee is for a hugely safe and successful event.

“Our festival is working toward having a safe festival for all,” said Karen Johnson, executive chair of the Apple-Scrapple Inc. Committee. “We are asking people to follow the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines for large gatherings. One mandate that our festival is following is we ask everyone to wear masks on the buses, as that is public transportation. We are just asking for everybody’s cooperation, so that we can have a festival in Bridgeville, Delaware.”

This is the 29th edition of Apple-Scrapple, which traditionally draws patrons from Sussex County and beyond.

“We call ourselves an Eastern Shore tradition,” Ms. Johnson said. “I think this is a festival that people look forward to for many reasons, whether they are looking for shopping, a family-friendly event or a day filled with fun and entertainment. We touch every aspect of what festivalgoers are going for and looking for.”

Apple-Scrapple — whose name is taken from two of Bridgeville’s most recognizable industries, apple-growers T.S. Smith & Sons and Rapa Scrapple — has expanded from approximately 2,500 visitors in 1992 to more than 25,000 lately, when staged in nice weather.

Apple-Scrapple’s updated website — applescrapple.com — outlines all the events, activities and community and school partnerships associated with the festival.

Traditionally, the food court is one of the main attractions, with scrapple sandwiches, wings, fries, pies, funnel cakes, oyster sandwiches, crab cakes, barbecue, cheesesteaks and more, including one of the festival’s most popular goodies, apple dumplings served with ice cream.

Also embedded in the festivities is fundraising.

“It is our purpose, and it is our mission,” Ms. Johnson said. “The Apple-Scrapple Festival, we are completely run by volunteers, and the reason for that is every organization that participates, this is their largest fundraiser. So we put all our efforts into having a festival, so that many organizations and school groups can raise these funds that they desperately need. And after last year’s cancellation, this is desperately needed for western Sussex County.

“It takes six months for us to organize the festival, from start to finish. It takes hundreds of work hours each year,” she added.

Festival hours are 4-10:30 p.m. Friday, with opening ceremonies at 6, followed by the Little Miss Apple-Scrapple Pageant at 6:30 and a street dance, featuring the Cocktails at 3 Band, at 8.

A full day is set for Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Stage entertainment includes DJ J&B at 9, Judy Sings the Blues at 10:30, Cathy Gorman at 12:30, the Mayoral Scrapple Sling at 2, the Vintage Blue bluegrass band at 3, Randy Lee Ashcraft and the Saltwater Cowboys at 5 and Charlie and The CoolTones at 7:30.

Ms. Johnson added that flu and COVID-19 vaccinations will be available at the festival’s health fair.

In addition, an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast at Union United Methodist Church will run 7-11 Saturday, hosted by the United Methodist Men.

The Southern Delaware Street Rod Association is hosting the car show from 9 to 3. And the trade show, based on Walnut and Laws streets, will run from 9 to 5.

A carnival supporting the Bridgeville Public Library is set for 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, with various single and family ticket options.

Fingers are crossed for splendid early autumn weather.

“We are planning on a large turnout, only to make sure that we are planning accordingly, so that we can handle anything that comes about,” said Ms. Johnson.