Bushels of Apples at Ravalli County Museum Saturday

The 38th Annual McIntosh Apple Day celebrates the historic Apple Boom in the Bitterroot Valley years ago. No admission charge to come the daytime festival.

The old orchards still exist and the hearty varieties of apples are harvested every year with the resulting apple cider, apple butter and apple pies throughout the valley.

Those products and more will be available at the Apple Day and Liquid Apple Night October 7th at the Ravalli County Museum in Hamilton.

Apple Day has recently been named one of the Best Montana Fall Festivals by National Geographic's online travel site. Thousands of people would agree.

Museum Director Tamar Stanley said that during the past few days, volunteers at the museum have been making, baking and freezing hundreds of homemade apple pies for sale Saturday. Apple cider will available in jugs and apple butter will be cooking as the day goes along, starting at 9 a.m. Apple chutney will be available, too.

Vendors from all over the region will fill an expanded Farmers Market, live music will be playing and valuable raffle and silent auction items will be announced at the museum lawn, wrapping up about 3 p.m.

Then, at 5 p.m., the Liquid Apple Night will open about a half city block away in Legion Park. With a $25 admission, you'll be able to taste many different varieties of "hard" apple cider - both locally brewed and from around the country. Non-alcoholic beverages will also be available.

The evening lasts until 9 p.m. and is one of the final events of "Montana Cider Week," celebrated in Missoula, Bozeman, Billings, Stevensville and Hamilton.