HAMILTON, Mont. — A Bitterroot fall favorite event where it's all about apples is back for it's 47th year.
Volunteers are preparing for what's called "the biggest bake sale under the big sky" by peeling hundreds of apples.
"Tradition. I love traditions, and that's what we build on. To have it and to see it keep going and the fun, to me, that's important," volunteer Deb Strickland told MTN News.
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For nearly five decades, the Ravalli County Museum has hosted Apple Day to bring a bite of history to the community.
"McIntosh apples specifically were grown all over the valley. They were a huge cash crop. And that boom lasted for about 40 years until there was a huge what we call the bust in 1923 and 1924. There was ice storms, freezing, late frost. It kind of killed most of the apple trees," said Ravalli County Museum executive director Michelle Nowling.
However, decades later, apples are still a big deal in the Bitterroot with local farms and the museum eagerly awaiting each fall.
"We source directly from Swanson's Orchards in Corvallis. There are not a lot of apples available. We had a late frost in May, but they very generously set aside enough apples for us so that we could still have Apple Day," Nowlish said, noting that they received a total of 48 boxes.
On Wednesday, volunteers filled the Hamilton Masonic Lodge to get ready for Saturday's event.
"They have their little peeler slicers. They run the apples through. We spray the apples with a light lemon juice solution to keep them from going too brown," Nowling said.
It's a big day where they are putting the peeler on overdrive to get enough slices for more than 700 pies.
"We started out years ago with our peels, and we'd lay them on the tables and see who got the longest one," Strickland said.
Pies are finalized with crumble topping, crust from Lou’s Pies, then baked at Daly School and the Coffee Cup Cafe.
"We do 200 of them that are frozen. We have them flash frozen so that you can buy a frozen pie. They're good for a year. And then the rest we serve fresh at Apple Day. You can either buy a slice or a whole pie," Nowling said.
Apple Day begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, with vendors, a raffle and more.
"If you want an apple pie, be in line early, way before it even opens. People in the community, in the valley, look forward to pies, and they'll line clear up and down the sidewalk and wait in line," Strickland said.
Festivities continue with hard cider and music in the evening at Liquid Apple Night beginning at 5 p.m.
