FRANKLIN, Pa. (EYT) — Organizers at the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce are gearing up for the big Applefest weekend, scheduled for October 4 through October 6.

Applefest, which began as a pie-eating contest in 1982, has grown over the years to become one of rural Pennsylvania’s biggest events.

According to Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jodi Lewis, organizers are hard at work preparing for this year’s festival, scheduled for October 4 through October 6.

“We’re getting ready now, and I’m very excited,” Lewis told exploreVenango.com.

This year’s festival will feature several new events.

X POGO Stunt Team will be performing on 12th street on Saturday, with shows scheduled for 12:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. Billed as the world’s best extreme pogo entertainment, X POGO Stunt Team travels exhibiting their talent on a regular basis.

“I think we’ll have four athletes here for that, and it sounds really exciting,” Lewis said.

A new drone competition will also be held on Saturday at 13th and Liberty Street near the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce office.

According to Lewis, the competition is spearheaded by Franklin’s Gifted and Talented teacher Tim Heffernan, who also developed the Pennsylvania Rural Robotics Initiative, to bring more of the community together and raise awareness about robotics in our region.

Participants in the competition will use drones to lift objects to set locations, competing against each other.

Another new event will be an ax-throwing competition sponsored by Creekside Granite in conjunction with TrAils To Ales Brewery which will be held on Liberty Street near TrAils to Ales on Saturday.

The festival will include several other events and entertainment, including music by Jada Vance on Saturday and Ukulele Russ and His One Man Frontier Band on Sunday, as well as entertainment by regional favorites such as CareyOn, Samantha Sears, and more.

“Everyone really looks forward to the pancake breakfast Friday morning, the street entertainment on Saturday, and the car cruise on Sunday,” Lewis noted. “I know I can’t wait.”

A full schedule of events for Applefest is available here.