Caramel apples in the park – a Manchester classic!
The very first caramel apple customers of the 2026 year. Photo credit: Angela McIver
submitted by Angela McIver, carmel apple volunteer
If you have not had the opportunity to taste a Manchester Caramel Apple, I recommend you start planning for next year! It is such a wonderful opportunity and evening of fun for all ages. This year I was able to help volunteer again, even recruiting some of the family to get in on the caramel apple fun on Halloween night. So much is going on all night long behind the scenes to create this classic fall staple for the town. Traditionally the event lasts from 5-7pm, but you will see the volunteers and excited friends gathering around earlier, the caramel is the true star of the show and made nearby by secret helpers. Some years it ends early if the supplies run out and some years we have to become more creative for transporting the apples (if you know you know this year it was disposable gloves for the win) All night long, our wonderful community members shuttle fresh warm caramel sauce over to the park so that the party can keep on rolling. From the time I arrived to help get things prepared/stations set up until the very end when supplies had long run out the thing you will hear over and over is just how much everyone looks forward to this event each year. It has become a piece of Manchester history, mixed with nostalgia and something I hope to continue participating in for years to come.
This year the weather was perfect for Halloween and the crowds were out in all their glory. Families with matching themes, like the little house on the prairie, or teens in coordinating sets like all the toy story crew just make the event so much fun. This year guests were arriving before 5pm to secure their spots in line and ensure the caramel apples were collected for the goodie bags. What truly warms my heart about events like this is the way it pulls the whole town and community together, whole families and friends young and old find their way to the center of town and reconnect, laugh and talk while enjoying a messy but delicious caramel apple custom created as they move through the little volunteer assembly line. Each year is full of laughs (wind taking over the stations, upside down apple delivery to the containers) and a little stress (we are low on caramel, or we ran out of a supply item, the line has wrapped around the park) but like any tradition its the memories made and the fun involved that have me so grateful for this town, the community of volunteers and all that come out to share a smile on Halloween for this truly magical event. Thank you to everyone involved for another wonderful year & to Kathy Diamond the real MVP of this event!
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