I grew up in Maryland eating RAPA scrapple. I’d go to the local grocery store and the breakfast meat section would be stocked full of all kinds of RAPA flavors. As an adult, I moved north to Boston and eventually even further north to Toronto. Scrapple was almost non-existent in both.
So when I was finally able to attend the Apple Scrapple Festival for the first time last year, its 25th Anniversary, there was something really special about visiting Delaware. Seeing the Bridgeville water tower and “Ralph & Paul Adams” in gold lettering outside the RAPA building. I’m only slightly embarrassed to say I got shivers.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect as a first-time attendee. In case you’re in the same boat, or you just want to reminisce about fun scrapple times, I thought I’d share a little of what’s going on at the Apple Scrapple Festival as you prepare yourself for this October 13 & 14!
Do you Have a Scrapple Recipe?
Before the event even officially gets started, RAPA is on the lookout for the best Scrapple Recipe and holds a yearly contest. You’ll need to register ahead of time, and show up at RAPA with your entry and a written recipe on Thursday, October 12. Besides bragging rights, there’s actual money on the line, so if you have that scrapple dish that everyone loves each year, this is your moment to show it off!
The Main Festivities
Things really get started on Friday night. The heart of the festival is right around the corner of Delaware Avenue and S. Cannon Street. The opening ceremonies will happen at the main event stage there, along with other various events throughout the weekend (Little Miss Apple Scrapple! The Mayoral Scrapple Sling!). This is also where you’ll find most of the main food vendors. Speaking of which:
Come Prepared to Eat
I mean, it’s a festival with apple and scrapple right in the name, so of course there is food. Last year, I saw at least two booths serving scrapple sandwiches. There was pizza with plenty of delicious options, including scrapple pizza. The fried oyster sandwich was gigantic. There were wings, fries, pies, funnel cakes, crab cakes, BBQ, cheesesteaks and probably even more. And this occasion also marked my first time I ate an apple dumpling. I can assure you it won’t be the last.
Be Ready to Toss Things
Out behind Woodbridge Middle School were the highly competitive “tossin’” activities that you can sign up for that day. There’s the Ladies Skillet Toss—actual cast iron skillets getting tossed in the air. Children can join in through the Kids Apple Toss. And, of course, there is the Scrapple Chunkin’ Contest where grown adults lineup to throw a brick of scrapple as far as they can. While I was joking about the “highly competitive” part, the judges take it quite seriously with measuring tape and official judging t-shirts. This is, without a doubt, a lot of fun.
The Trade Show
As you wander from the main event stage out to the middle school, you will pass by loads of local vendors, offering up just about anything you can imagine. Apple butter, beautiful wood carvings, antiques, scrapple shirts (of course), and so so much more. It’s a great opportunity to support local individuals and businesses.
Kiwanis Home Decorating Contest
Perhaps most delightful were the home decorations. Think of great Christmas decorations, but instead of angels, Santa and reindeer, there are lots of pigs, apples and scrapple. It’s wonderful to see how the local neighborhood appreciates and enjoys the festival as well, and it’s certainly worth walking around to see some of the more elaborate decorations.
This is just a small sample of what to expect at the Apple Scrapple Festival this year. I didn’t even mention the carnival rides, or other delights I stumbled upon just wandering around Saturday and Sunday. If you love scrapple, then get yourself to Bridgeville on October 13 and 14th this year. And if you want to say hi to me, you’ll possibly find me behind the middle school tossing bricks of scrapple trying to improve my distance over last year.