Apple Festival - A Celebration of Local Food & Bear-Aware Living in NW Montana
October 2nd - 11:00 am- 5:00 pm
Bakers, we want you!
There's a reason we built an apple festival around pies. In NW Montana, fall means apples and in Lincoln County, that means bears too. Unpicked fruit trees are one of the biggest draws for hungry bears each autumn, which is why gleaning your trees isn't just good eating. It's good neighborliness, for the two-legged and four-legged kind alike.
So bake something beautiful with those local apples. Enter it in the contest. Help keep the bears where they belong.
HOW TO ENTER
Bring your scratch-made apple pie or apple dessert. Enough for 8 servings. Drop it off by 12 PM.
Choose your category:
Traditional Apple Pie
Apple Desserts (cobblers, crisps, tarts, cakes, crumb-top pies)
Youth Division (ages 7–15)
JUDGING & PRIZES
Entries are judged on appearance, texture, and flavor. Local apples earn bonus points.
AFTER JUDGING - FUNDRAISER SALE
All pies and desserts are sold by the slice to benefit the Troy Farmers Market operating fund.
Pie or Dessert Slice: $5
Come taste, cheer on your favorite baker, and support your local market. And while you're here stop by the Bear Fair to learn how gleaning, securing food sources, and knowing your bear spray can make all of us safer this fall. No entry fee. This is a community event.
Become an Apple Festival Vendor
This is the busiest day of the year at the Troy Farmers Market, a beloved fall event. Past festivals have drawn 900+ visitors from across Lincoln, Sanders, and Flathead counties, plus Boundary County, Idaho.
Apple Festival vendors join an expanded market lineup alongside our regular farmers and loyal vendors. One can expect apple-inspired treats, fresh cider, abundant local produce, baked goods, handmade crafts, and and so much more.
With live music, the Apple Pie Bake-Off, and the Bear Fair drawing crowds throughout the day, vendors can be assured that there's no shortage of potential customers and interested community members stopping to linger at your booth.
Whether you're a regular market vendor or joining us for the first time, the Apple Festival is a great way to reach new people and be part of Troy's signature community event.
Bear Fair & Education
The Apple Festival is also a Bear Fair, and that's by design. Each autumn, Lincoln county’s unpicked apple trees are a big draw for hungry bears, which makes this the perfect season to talk about coexisting safely with our wild neighbors.
Throughout the day, festival-goers can take part in bear-aware activities including bear-safe demonstrations, bear spray training, and games for kids. Completing these activities earns free entry into our bear-safe raffle, with prizes that have included bear spray belts, bear spray, and bear-proof food canisters and trash cans.
In past years the Bear Fair has been offered in partnership with the Yaak Valley Forest Council, Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and the U.S. Forest Service, these organizations work year round to help people and wildlife share the landscape safely.
A well-informed community means fewer conflicts with our bear population, which also means safer homes, gardens, and fruit trees.
Volunteer With Us
The Apple Festival runs on generous people. Every year, volunteers make the difference between a good event and a great one. Their efforts include setting up, breaking down, keeping the apple press going, baking & judging pies (with the seriousness that pie deserves) and everything in between.
If you'd like to be part of the crew that makes this happen, we'd love to have you!
Volunteer opportunities include:
Event set-up & take-down
Apple press operation
Apple Pie Bake-Off judging & coordination
Apple pie donations for the contest
General event support throughout the day
No experience necessary, just a willingness to show up and dig in.
Reach out directly to our market manager:
📧 troymtfarmersmarket@gmail.com
📞 406.291.0979
Troy Farmers Market Apple Pie & Apple Desert Contest
A sweet autumn tradition celebrating local growers, bakers, and our communities love for apples.
Contest Overview:
The Troy Farmers Market Apple Pie & Dessert Contest showcases the creativity of local bakers and highlights our regions apple harvest. Contestants submit their best pies and apple-based dessert to compete for bragging rights, ribbons and small cash prizes.
After judging, all entries are sliced and sold to the public, with proceeds benefitting the Troy Farmers Market operating fund.
Rules for Entry
Local Apples (Bonus Points): Contestants are encouraged to use locally grown apples (Lincoln County or surrounding region). Stated sources will be requested on your entry sheet. Local apples earn +2 Bonus points,
Scratch-Made Only: All entries must be made from scratch (no store-bough crusts, fillings or mixes).
Entry Size: Each entry must be a standard 9-inch pie or dessert large enough to serve at least 8 slices/portions. We recommend using a disposable tin pie plate.
Category Selection: Contestants must select one category upon entry (See Below).
Entry Limit: Each contestant may submit up to 2 entries in different categories.
Entry Fee: No Entry Fee - This is a community building event.
Drop-Off: Entries must be delivered no later than 12:00pm (Noon) on contest day and clearly labeled with the contestant’s name, phone number and category.
Serving Rights: After judging, all entries become the property of the Troy Farmers Market and will be sold by the slice/portion as a fundraiser.
Categories
Traditional Apple Pie - Classic two-crust pies only, no crumb topping or additional fruits.
Apple Desserts - Cobblers, crisps, crumb top pies, tarts, cakes, or any other apple-based dessert
Youth Division (Ages 7 - 15) - Any apple pie or dessert created by a young baker.
Judging Criteria
Apple Pie & Dessert Scorecards
Presentation: Aroma, visual appeal, overall attractiveness
Texture/Execution: Crust flakiness, doneness, consistency (or appropriate dessert texture.
Flavor: Balance of sweetness/spice, strength of apple flavor
Local Apples Bonus: +2 points if local apples are used.
Youth Scorecard
Creativity: Fun, originality, effort shown.
Texture/Execution: Doneness, consistency, presentation effort.
Flavor: Overall taste and apple presence.
Local Apples Bonus: +2 points if local apples are used.
WHAT SETS THIS EVENT APART
Apple Pressing & Fresh Cider
Bring your own gleaned apples or just come watch the press in action. Fresh-pressed cider is a festival tradition and pressing local fruit helps keep bears and other wildlife out of unharvested trees come fall.
The Apple Pie Bake-Off
Home bakers from across the area compete for top honors in our annual pie contest. Flaky crusts, perfect spice, and a little friendly competition. Come taste your way through the entries or enter one of your own.
Bear Fair & Safety Education
Hands-on demonstrations, bear spray training, and kids' activities make wildlife safety approachable and fun with a raffle prize waiting for everyone who participates.
