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Event organizers are juiced about the 17th annual Manton Apple Festival on Saturday at the Manton School. The daylong festival will feature 100 craft and food booths, children's activities and live music. Prizes for the morning's apple pie-baking contest include $100, $60 and $40 prizes.

"We have everything from paid entertainers including country music (performers), to fiddlers and singing (groups), said Kay Zimmerman, festival spokeswoman.

Concerts include performances throughout the day by country music singer Buddy Evans. "It's a nice day for families," Zimmerman said. "We don't charge to get in. We don't charge for parking. You can come in and listen to music all day."

The festival will take place outside on the school lawn, rain or shine. "We have a big top, a giant tent — for people to come and sit," Zimmerman said.

One highlight of the festival is the apple pie and ice cream, served all day. "We (the festival committee) will get together on Thursday to bake the pies," Zimmerman said. "Other people in the community come down to help us."

The idea for the festival began in 1992 with efforts to help Manton-area apple growers market their goods, according to a press release from festival planners. As the festival grew it began to more than pay for itself, and planners decided to earmark profits toward community projects and causes.

Last year the festival donated $3,500 in college scholarships to Manton students, and several thousand dollars to local youth groups. Estimated attendance has been 4,000 to 5,000 each year. "It took a couple, three years to get it off the ground, but it's doing well," Zimmerman said.

News assistant Jessica Skropanic can be reached at 225-8265 or at jskropanic@redding.com.