When colder weather rears its head around this time of year, many look for a drink, whether cold or warm, to coincide with the season.

Washington’s hallmark fruit, the apple, is often pressed and drunk during the fall, and will take center stage at several locations around Jefferson County for the second annual Olympic Peninsula Apple and Cider Festival this weekend to usher in the autumn season.

“We are truly fortunate to live in a place with such an abundant fall harvest and talented pool of farmers, fishers, brewers, musicians and chefs,” said Danny Milholland, of Thunderbull Productions, which organizes the event. “I am really impressed with the collaboration and enthusiasm this Festival has galvanized. The Festival is all about celebrating the abundance of the fall season and the transition it marks in each of our lives.”

As the second annual festival, Thunderbull Productions has partnered with local cideries for the three days of activities. Milholland explained the festival was the legacy of a Port Townsend event called “Summer Cider Day,” a summer gathering that took place downtown.

When organizers of the Northwest Cider Association were ready to pass the torch, Thunderbull Productions re-established a similar event, along with Finnriver Orchard, Eaglemount Wine and Cider, and Alpenfire Cidery, but in the fall, to coincide with harvest season. They also linked it to Finnriver’s World Apple Day, which has been happening for a number of years, making it a weekend affair for the early fall weekend.

“We’ve built it from there,” Milholland said, listing off many other extra events other businesses have decided to host surrounding the apple theme.

As an “off-season event,” Millholland said the weather is always a concern, but contingency plans are in place.

“We’re making a splash in the cider world with this weekend event,” he said, adding it sits apart from other similar festivals, as they include multiple days throughout the region with orchard tours and pressing demonstrations. “It’s a cool, collective collaboration.”

The festival will kick off with a Harvest Dinner at 6 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Palindrome Hall at Arcadia Estate, 1891 S. Jacob Road.

The dinner will benefit the Jefferson Clemente Foundation, which runs a free, college-level humanities course for low-income adults, as well as other humanities and higher education programming in Jefferson County. With a mission to eliminate barriers to higher education and increase civic engagement, Clemente recently secured a partnership with Peninsula College to run a course next year at Fort Worden. Proceeds of the Harvest Dinner will go toward supporting 2019 programming.

Millholland said this is a much larger dinner, a change from the previous year’s more intimate occasion. He recalled it was sold out, necessitating the larger and more abundant preparation, adding all the other events were successful.

The Port Townsend Farmers Market on Oct. 13 will feature apple themed demonstrations from local chef Arran Stark. Throughout the afternoon, the party will pick back up at the Palindrome with the Cider Saloon, featuring 40 regional ciders, apple pressing, apple tempura, a photo booth and live music. Western wear is encouraged for celebrators while they enjoy an onslaught of offers from participating cideries, including Finnriver, Dragon’s Head, Alpenfire, Portland Cider Company, Eaglemount Wine and Cider, Nashi Orchards, Schilling Hard Cider, Ole Swede, Herb’s Cider and Admiralty Distillers.

From 6 to 9 p.m., the Fireside Restaurant in Port Ludlow will serve a multi-course family style meal with selected pairings from local craft cideries. The menu features locally sourced cheeses with apple confiture, buttercup squash bisque with roasted apple curry, applewood smoked bacon braised brussels sprouts with Nash’s pork loin, and a baked caramel apple to finish.

The after-party will light up at Propolis Brewing from 5 to 10 p.m., featuring food trucks, a DJ and a fire show. Entertainment will include DJ Captain Peacock, Hook, with belly dancing by Stormy and Fire Dancing Magic. Food options will include Curly’s and Barbarian Fine Cuisine. Guests are invited to either “come as you are or let your imagination fly,” by dressing up in costumes ranging from “fiery wizards, dark faeries, devious elves and magical autumnal creatures.

Capping off the event Oct. 14, organizers invited all to enjoy a Ploughman’s Cider Breakfast at Alpenfire Cider. Following a breakfast of bread, Mt. Townsend Creamery cheese, cold cuts, fresh fruit, eggs and sausage, Alpenfire will host apple-themed seminars, orchard tours and an industrial cider pressing with Ryal of NW Mobile Juicing.

Nancy Bishop, owner of Alpenfire Cider, said the seminars will be brief but will include a walk through the orchard, speaking about the trees grown and used in its cider, and specific varieties of apples used for cider. The tour will also look at the equipment used for cider production for processing and maturing cider. Bishop anticipates a grafting workshop will be held as well.

“We still have a selection of ciders from out of the area as well,” Bishop said.

The annual Finnriver World Apple Day takes place Oct. 14 afternoon, with cider tastings, orchard tours, live music, woodfired pizza, fermentation games, apple identification, and apple-themed treats. Portland Bakers Julie Richardson, of Baker and Spice, and Piper Davis, of Grand Central Bakery and the MOUTHY podcast, will present “Cider Donuts,” cooking up some goes from local organic apples and regional flours. All proceeds of the event go toward the Community Wellness Project.