Among the volunteers at the Congregational Church of Salem community center Monday night was the latest generation to help prepare hundreds of apple pies for this year's 52nd Apple Fest.

William Griffin V wielded a plastic knife to pare down the peeled and sliced apples, eight bushels worth, to the appropriate size for pie filling.

The volunteers have been gathering on Monday and Tuesday evenings since the end of September to prepare 425 double crust pies, 225 crumb pies and an assortment of other apple-based baked goods.

Manuela Vasquez, the festival chair this year, said 20 volunteers a day have been joining the effort to prepare the pies and some 95 will be on hand for the festival which is both a fundraiser for the church's many ministries as well as embraced as a community event by the town.

"For five weeks we not only have fellowship," says Vasquez. "We accomplish a huge task."

The festival, which was canceled last year due to the pandemic, is Saturday, Oct. 30, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., or until sold out, at the church grounds on Route 85.