WHS Alum Designs AppleFest Poster

The poster for the Westfield Historical Society's second annual AppleFest will feature an illustration by award-winning artist Danny Schwartz inspired by the festival's setting – the newly restored Reeve House.

Working from old photos of the interior of the 1875 house, Schwartz has painted a group of men and women from the 1920s seated around a table, surrounded by representations of the fruit that will be celebrated at the Saturday, Oct. 2, event.

Work on Reeve House, 314 Mountain Ave., is nearly completed; it will serve as the historical society's home. Visitors to AppleFest will have an opportunity to find out about the project, and about the society's plans for a History and Culture Center at the site.

But AppleFest also offers scrumptious food, children's games, walking tours of historic Westfield, the barbershop harmonies of the Sweet Adelines, portraits by silhouette artist Ruth Grabner, and an antique and collectable table.

The festival's centerpiece is an apple pie baking contest. Celebrities from local bakeries, restaurants and cooking schools will judge an array of imaginative versions of this most American of desserts; prospective bakers can enter the competition by calling 908-654-1794, or filling out an entry form at www.westfieldhistoricalsociety.org.

"I grew up just a couple of blocks from the Reeve House, and the restoration is really inspiring,' said Schwartz, a 2006 graduate of Westfield High School. "Plus, I do have a real fondness for apple pie."

Schwartz's illustration for the 2009 AppleFest poster was honored by the Society of Illustrators in one of the nation's most prestigious competitions of student work.

An alumnus of Syracuse University, Schwartz's work has appeared in CMYK Magazine's Top 100 New Creatives showcase,  in the magazines of Rutgers University, Fairleigh Dickinson University and The College of New Jersey, and in publications for the Syracuse International Film Festival concert series, among others.

This year's AppleFest is scheduled to run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; the rain date is the following day, Oct. 3.

Editor's Note: This article was submitted by the Westfield Historical Society.