If you’ve watched any of these videos, you’ve already heard a little bit of Ken Carr’s Apple Festival story.
Ken arranged and plays the piano on the version of Tom Tierney’s “Appletime, Sweet Appletime” that you hear throughout this series—a song that also inspired the theme of this year’s milestone 75th Murphysboro Apple Festival.
But Ken’s connection to the festival goes back much further.
He was the very first man inside the Captain Applesauce costume—in fact, the original costume was built around him. And for years, Ken has helped lead the music that has become such an important part of the festival.
More recently, he handed his chair duties over to his son, Bill. But Ken hasn’t gone anywhere. Now, father and son do it together.
Ken told me Bill loves the Apple Festival just as much as he does, and there’s something pretty special about that. After decades of helping shape the music and traditions of the festival, Ken is now helping guide them into the hands of the next generation.
And he has some great stories to tell along the way.
It seems especially fitting that the music connecting all of these stories comes from someone whose own Apple Festival story spans so many years, so many roles, and now, another generation.
Thank you, Ken, for sharing your Murphysboro Apple Festival story—and for helpng provide the soundtrack to so many more.