October Traditions: Cider Pressing & Halloween

The month of October includes two special traditions in our family: running and organizing the Cider Pressing Booth at the Mt Pisgah Mushroom Festival, and, of course, Halloween!

The Mushroom Festival at Mt Pisgah Arboretum is an annual event that the Marston household has taken part in for the last 30+ years. My dad, Jay, was the founder of the Cider Pressing Booth decades ago, and my brother Konrad and I started pressing apples at the event when I was just 3 years old.

Our family donated one of the two presses we use there in honor of Jay and his life and dedication to the Arboretum; and every year when I see the plaque with his name on it I am reminded of what a wonderful, vivacious, and generous soul he was.

Today my mom runs the booth from her post heating the hot cider; and our longtime friend, Barbara, and I organize the 20-30 volunteers that take part in the long day. All the proceeds from this operation go to the Arboretum, and in recent years we have been able to raise around $3,500 from each single day of pressing and selling cider!

On years when Hans is not elk hunting with his dad and extended family he has been a key player sorting and pressing apples all day, along with his mom, Jan, who has taken part in each of the last there years' events.

Our crew has expanded greatly over the many years, but the core of it is made up of we Marstons and McKnights, Barbara and Rick and their kids (Carlos, Evan, Amanda & Michael), and the Sperry clan (Teresa, Nathaniel, Elta & Rob).

Just a few days after the Mushroom Festival (held annually on the last Sunday of October) comes Halloween. This year Hans and I went all out dressing both ourselves and Winston and Link up as Minions!

We kicked off the evening strolling the neighborhood in costume during our evening walk with the pups and received numerous complements from neighbors and trick-or-treaters.

We stayed in costume throughout the night and snuggled on the couch watching "Nightmare before Christmas" in between handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters who stopped by. Minions were such a big hit this year that we definitely plan to dress up as a family in future years, with my vote being Winnie the Poo and his gang for 2019 :).

Between the Mushroom Festival and Halloween we thoroughly enjoyed the end of October this year, and can't wait to pass on these traditions to our future child(ren) should we be so fortunate as to adopt.