The smell of apples boiling over cooking fires greeted visitors at Century Village Museum on Oct. 12 as the Burton-based site celebrated the first day of its annual Apple Butter Festival. Visitors had many opportunities to see, smell and taste the event’s namesake fruit at the festival. It also featured activities for children, visitors who were interested in history and others who came to celebrate fall. Century Village Archivist and Curator Stefanie O’Connor said that a team began peeling, cutting and slicing the apples two days before the festival. Nick Gorris then came in the day before the festival and began working with a team to prepare the apple spread. “You can get apple butter pretty much anywhere,” Gorris said. “People will do it in a stainless steel kettle. They’ll do it in a Crock-Pot, they’ll do it big. We’re doing it in a copper kettle over an open flame with that smoke, and it just adds that extra – takes it over the top of everybody else.” He said that the cooking process involves boiling three bushels of apples in an apple cider gel for around four hours and 15 minutes, though the time may change depending on weather conditions. The people preparing the apples must continuously stir in that time to avoid burning them. Gorris added that the festival organizers add cinnamon but not sugar, since the apples are naturally sweet. A team then puts the butter in jars and prepares to sell it. Beth McClintock was running one of the kettles. Her uncle bought her a lifetime membership to the museum in the 1980s, and she volunteers in order to give back. “I love campfires to start with, to just spend four hours by a campfire, and I mean it’s relaxing,” McClintock said. “It’s a little bit of muscle work, but you’re just stirring, and it’s a very nice way to get away from the hustle and bustle of what we do today.” Visitors who wanted a taste of the fruit could buy apple fritters or some Amish-baked bread topped with apple butter. Brian Burtka, left, and Jack Stillion pose in Civil War uniforms at the James A. Garfield Civil War Round Table display at the Century Village Museum Apple Butter Festival in Burton on Oct. 12. (Bryson Durst -- The News-Herald)Nick Gorris, left, and Colletta Somrack place apple butter in jars on Oct. 12 at the Century Village Museum Apple Butter Festival in Burton. (Bryson Durst -- The News-Herald)Mike Juskiw of the Western Reserve Artist-Blacksmith Association nonprofit demonstrates blacksmithing on Oct. 12 at the Century Village Museum Apple Butter Festival in Burton. (Bryson Durst -- The News-Herald)Show Caption1 of 3Brian Burtka, left, and Jack Stillion pose in Civil War uniforms at the James A. Garfield Civil War Round Table display at the Century Village Museum Apple Butter Festival in Burton on Oct. 12. (Bryson Durst -- The News-Herald)Expand Elsewhere on the museum’s grounds, exhibits catered to visitors interested in learning about historic crafts like blacksmithing. Meanwhile, representatives from the James A. Garfield Civil War Round Table greeted visitors in full Civil War uniform. O’Connor added that pumpkin carving, pumpkin roll and apple peeling contests were also planned for the festival. Bouncy houses anchored a kids area, vendors lined the sidewalks and arts and crafts were available in the basement of the Auburn Church. Various historic buildings at Century Village were set to open at different times of the day. “It’s grown a lot,” she said of the festival. “We’re expecting at least over 1,000, maybe 2,000 people today in one day.” Andrew Mizsak of Century Village said that the event is more than 50 years old, describing it as the museum’s largest event. “It’s just great because you see tradition passed on from generation to generation, whether it’s in the forms of the craft, or folks bringing their kids and grandkids, making the apple butter the way it was made a century and a half ago with some of the modern, fun stuff,” Mizsak said.  “Modern food, too.” The Apple Butter Festival will return from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 13, according to the Century Village website. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids ages 5-10 and free for kids ages 4 and under. Century Village Museum is located at 14653 E Park St. in Burton.