THE WORLD'S BEST APPLE HONORED - Clay's Golden Delicious Festival, Squire Parsons Will Sing, $1000 Chili Cook-Off (09/16/2004) Clay County celebrates its famous apple with the annual Clay County Golden Delicious Festival this weekend. Lots of events including a $1000 chili cook-off and a special appearance by gospel music singer Squire Parsons. The first festival in 1973 featured country-and-western star Tex Ritter as the grand marshal. That first year the "world's largest apple pie" was baked, measuring a whopping six feet across and filled with spicy, juicy Golden Delicious apples, What many believe is the tastiest apple in the world was discovered by Anderson Mullins in Clay County in 1905. "Eureka! I found it!," were the words of Paul Stark of Stark Brothers Nursery when he bit into the new and exciting apple in 1914. The Golden Delicious is the state's most famous contribution to horticulture, which has now spread to every continent in the world. "With one in your hand, you can't be sure whether you're drinking champagne or eating an apple," Stark said. . Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, founder of the breakfast food company, wrote a letter to Stark Nurseries, "I consider the Golden Delicious the finest apple I have ever tasted." Plant breeder Luther Burbank said. "After observing the Golden Delicious in my experiment grounds and giving it careful tests, I have no hesitancy in stating that it is the greatest apple in all the world." The Golden Delicious apple was designated as the official State Fruit in 1995. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS All activities take place at the Courthouse Square unless otherwise noted. Thursday September 16 6:00 PM Opening Ceremonies Flag Raising & Folds of the Flag-VFW Post #4419 Earl of Elkview Queen's Coronation Amusement Rides Open 7:00 PM Golden Delicious Couples Contest-Golden 8:00 PM Solomon's Secret (Outdoor Drama) Dundon Hill Golden Delicious Couples Contest-Silver 9:00 PM Karaoke with Steve Mullins Friday September 17 9:00 AM Flag Raising VFW Post #4419 Amusement Rides Open Baking Contest Registrations till 9:30 AM Clay Elementary School Singers 9:30 AM Quilt Registrations(160 Main Street) Valley Fork Rocket Choir 10:00 AM Clay Middle School Concert Choir 10:30 AM Apple Growing Demonstration (Sizemore's Farms) Puppet Show History of the Veterans Memorial-VFW Post #4419 11:00 AM Baking Contest Winners Announced 12:00 PM Apple Belle Coronation Gospel Sing-Kay Ramsey 12:30 PM Apple Belle Reception-174 Main Street 1:00 PM Country Mix 2:00 PM C.C.H.S. Dance Team 3:00 PM Paul Cottrell & High Mountain Bluegrass 4:00 PM Quilt Judging Harold Allen & Terri 5:00 PM History of the Veterans Memorial-VFW Post #4419 6:00 PM Farrah Facemire 6:30 PM Bingo(Clay Lions Community Center) 7:00 PM Hillbilly Stompers (Dance) Pro Wrestling (WVDHHR Parking Area) 7:30 PM "Chick Singer" (Band) 8:00 PM Solomon's Secret(Outdoor Drama) Dundon Hill 8:45 PM Tom Pringle 9:00 PM Crystal Mountain Band Saturday September 18, 2004 9:00 AM Flag Raising VFW Post #4419 Amusement Rides Open Antique Car Show(Clay Middle School) 8th Annual Motorcycle Show(Registrations till Noon) Pig Tail Contest Registrations (Inside Courthouse) Baking Contest Registrations till 9:30 AM 10:00 AM Clay Cadets Majorette Show Bubble Gum Contest 10:30 AM Pig Tail Contest Winners Announced 11:00 AM Diaper Derby OREO Stacking Contest History of the Veterans Memorial-VFW Post #4419 The Preast Family (Gospel Music) 11:30 AM Pie Baking Contest Registrations till 12:00 Noon Tatet Tot Toss 12:00 PM Spirits of Bluegrass 1:00 PM Grand Parade Motorcycle Show Judging-WVHDDR Parking Area 2:00 PM Satchel Brown 3:00 PM Charleston Metopolitan Band Tug-of-War Competition 3:30 PM Art Auction 4:00 PM Aqua Launch Lions Rubber Duck Race-Elk River 4:30 PM Pit Change History of the Veterans Memorial-VFW Post #4419 5:00 PM Ox Roast(Clay Elementary School) Teddy Vaughan & Friends 6:00 PM Griffith & Cross 6:30 PM Bingo(Clay Lions Community Center) 7:30 PM Apple Pie Winner Announced Apple Counting Winner Announced Pit Change 8:00 PM Solomon's Secret (Outdoor Drama) Dundon Hill Torri Anderson & Possum Holler 9:00 PM FIREWORKS Stark Brothers Apple Orchard Drawing Sunday September 19, 2004 9:00 AM Flag Raising 5K Run Registrations 9:30 AM Chili Cook-Off Registration (Clay County Bank) Salsa Entries due by 10:00 AM 10:00 AM Chili Cook-Off Cooks Mtg. (Clay Lions Community Ctr.) 5K Run Begins 11:00 AM Chili Cook-Off Begins Hula Hoop Contest 1:00 PM Youth Fishing Derby Clay Swimming Pool-Bradley Field Gospel Sing 1:00 PM Adam Burdette 1:30 PM Gospel Expressions 2:00 PM Faith Harmony Boys 2:30 PM Squire Parsons 2:00 PM Chili Cook-Off Ends 2:30 PM Chili Judging (Best Chili $1000.00) 3:30 PM Chili Awards Live Music Performances throughout the Festival.