In celebration of the coming of autumn, the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, 432 W. Walnut St., Allentown, will convene an Apple Fest and Antique Car Show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

“Crisp, fresh apples and apple cider offer a taste of autumn,” said Joseph Garrera, executive director of the museum. “In fact, the apple is among America’s most favorite fruits, but few people understand its fascinating history.”

People have been growing apples for tens of thousands of years. Early English settlers brought apple cuttings to Jamestown, a process that was repeated up and down the East Coast.

Early Lehigh County residents such as James Allen of Trout Hall in Allentown probably cultivated apple orchards. Apple Fest visitors will be able to take a mini-tour of James Allen’s Trout Hall.

While many apples imported from Europe did not grow well in the American climate, some of their seeds, which differed from the parent trees, did.

Even less tasty apples were welcome in an era when most of the fruit was made into cider rather than being eaten fresh. Visitors to Apple Fest can try their hand at a manual cider press.

Meet Johnny Appleseed

John Chapman, aka “Johnny Appleseed,” spread apples across the frontier in the early 1800s. Starting with his first nursery in Western Pennsylvania, he scouted along routes pioneers were likely to travel through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, starting nurseries as he went.

Visitors to Apple Fest can “meet” Johnny Appleseed and hear of his travels and mission.

Thanks in part to his efforts, it is estimated that in the 1800s Americans grew about 14,000 different varieties of apples.

While many fewer varieties are grown today, Apple Fest visitors will be able to taste several apple varieties. Families can enjoy puppet shows, storytelling, games, craft activities and much more.

Model T Fords on display

Visitors will also enjoy a fascinating display of Model T Fords. According to guest curators Dennis and Ron Smith of Allentown, “Ford’s Model T transformed automobiles from a luxury for the wealthy into practical transportation for the masses, helping to usher in the modern Age of the Automobile.”

Ford’s assembly-line production methods brought the car’s price down from $850 when it was first produced in 1908 to less than $300 in 1925, two years before it went out of production.

Inexpensive, durable and easy to repair, at times the Model T made up as much as 40 percent of all cars sold in the United States.

Admission to the Apple Fest and Antique Car Show is free to members. There is a fee for nonmembers.

The Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum is a 30,000 square foot teaching institution that attracts a diverse audience.

Its collections of historical Americana include over 30,000 three-dimensional objects, 3.5 million documents and more than 120,000 vintage photographs. Parking is available in the rear of the Museum, on the street, and in nearby lots.

For more information, contact Garrera at 610-435-1074, visit www.lehighvalleyheritagemuseum.org or visit on Facebook.