A celebration of Oak Creek’s agricultural and farming history, the Slide Rock Apple Fest is a two-day event with live music, activities for children and adults, food, arts & crafts, natural exhibitions, educational booths, homesteading demonstrations and lectures about sustainability. The Apple Festival activities will include apple-sorting demonstrations, cornhole and a beer garden, face painting, children’s arts & crafts, apple-themed activities, history walks, live demonstrations, an apple cooking contest (see below), a dessert auction and music including performances by Red Rock Country Band and Porchlights. A Plein Air “Paint Out” will also take place at the event.

Slide Rock State Park, originally the Pendley Homestead, is a 43-acre historical apple farm located in Oak Creek Canyon. Frank L. Pendley, having arrived in the canyon in 1907, formally acquired the land under the Homestead Act in 1910. Due to his pioneering innovation, he succeeded where others failed by establishing a unique irrigation system still in use by the park today. This allowed Pendley to plant his first apple orchard in 1912, beginning the pattern of agricultural development that has dominated the site since that time.

The park is named after the famous Slide Rock, a stretch of slippery creek bottom adjacent to the homestead. Visitors may slide down a slick natural water chute or wade and sun along the creek. The swim area is located on National Forest land which is jointly managed by Arizona State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service. Together these areas have seen the making of many Hollywood movies such as “Broken Arrow” (1950) with James Stewart, “Drum Beat” (1954) with Alan Ladd and Charles Bronson, “Gun Fury” (1953) with Rock Hudson and Donna Reed, and a scene from “Angel and the Badman” (1946) with John Wayne.

Fees and Tickets: Vendor Booths $50 (limited space available call 928-282-1418); Entrance Fee - $8 per car load, or take the free trolley and receive a complimentary ticket. Volunteers are needed for this event. This event is sponsored by the Friends of Slide Rock State Park, a local non-profit group dedicated to protecting, preserving and promoting appreciation and enjoyment of the historical, ecological, scientific, recreational and cultural resources of Slide Rock State Park.

Trolley Stops: Go Green: Take the free trolley from one of 3 pick-up points in Sedona and receive a complimentary ticket to the event. Trolley runs from 9 am to 4 pm.

Baked Goods Show: All entries in the Slide Rock Apple Fest’s Food Contests must include apples in the ingredient list. This includes, but is not limited to, whole apples, apple flavoring, sauces or jellies.