Apple Butter Festival

Attracting more than 100,000 visitors every year, the Apple Butter Festival is the largest event in Kimmswick, Missouri.

While participants can enjoy the small-town ambiance, live entertainment and between 500 and 600 food, drink and craft vendors, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes, too.

On Friday, the Kimmswick Historical Society gathers to peel and prepare the apples. Then, before dawn on Saturday and Sunday, the apples are cooked in a kettle over a wood-burning fire until the fragrant spread is thick enough to seal in jars.

After one taste of the apple butter, you’ll want to stock your pantry with the indulgence.