Bowmanville Applefest returns with bigger crowd as vendors face rising costs

The annual fall festival returned to downtown Bowmanville on Oct. 17 with what the BIA chair says looked like a bigger crowd than last year, while vendors told Wesal TV rising labour, fuel and fertilizer costs are squeezing local food producers.

By Daily Durham News

Oct 20, 2026, 4:19 p.m. ET1 min read

Rows of apple trees heavy with red fruit at an orchard in Clarington, Ontario; no people visible. — An apple orchard in Clarington. (Dillan Payne / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0) · Credit: Dillan Payne, via Wikimedia Commons

Bowmanville's annual Applefest returned to historic downtown Bowmanville on Saturday, Oct. 17, bringing apple growers, food vendors, craft makers and shoppers together, Wesal TV reported Oct. 20.

Tami Watson, who runs Basketful Farms on Highway 2 in Clarington, told Wesal TV rising labour, fuel and fertilizer costs are making it harder to grow and sell local food while competing with cheaper imported produce. She called for tax incentives and fuel assistance to help farmers manage costs.

Claryberry elderberry syrup maker Justin Jimmo said he has absorbed rising costs without raising prices for years, Wesal TV reported. BIA chair Ron Hooper said this year's crowd looked bigger than last year, and MP Jamil Jivani (Bowmanville—Oshawa North) attended and discussed federal support for small businesses.

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