WESTMINSTER — The 48th South Carolina Apple Festival has more to do this year than Granny Smith has apples.

The Westminster Rotary Club golf tournament, a King and Queen contest and a Chattooga River float by Wildwater Limited in Long Creek are already completed, with new attractions set for downtown beginning Friday.

“It’s an election year,” said Sandra Powell, director of the Westminster Chamber of Commerce. “Everybody will make sure they are here at least once.”

More than 100 vendors with crafts, art and food are lined up for downtown Friday and Saturday and there will be two stages this year for music and entertainment.

The annual Apple Baking Contest is Thursday and the Oconee Heritage Center is getting into the festivities this year with a Jambalaya dinner that includes fried apple pies. The Jambalaya in the Barrett-Jones building on Main Street will benefit the renovation of the building for the Heritage Center’s annex.

Friday features the annual Westminster Rotary Club’s lunch at Westminster Baptist Church. This year’s guest speaker is H.B. Buck Limehouse, secretary of transportation for the South Carolina Department of Transportation. Also Friday, the Apple Festival parade heads down U.S. 123 and toward Main Street at 4:30 p.m.

Grand marshals this year are Waymon and Sara Defoor. Waymon, 93 and his wife Sara, 91 have been married since 1936 were selected as being a reflection of the quality of life in Westminster.

“We wanted to honor our senior citizens,” Powell said. “They really are a terrific couple.

There was a time when everybody had fruit trees in their yard for home use, Waymon said.

Friday is also the opening of the Apple Festival Rodeo at 8 p.m. at the Bibb Street Arena. The rodeo continues at 8 p.m. Saturday.

There is also an Antique Mall and collectors’ booths on Main Street next to Dad’s and Lad’s and a Classic Car Show and Cruise-In sponsored by Oconee County’s CrimeStoppers between Hardees and the Westminster Post Office on U.S. 123.