ATWOOD – The Apple Dumpling Festival gets under way at 3 p.m. Friday.

The festival, which is in its 15th year, will once again offer the Apple Raffle. Only 200 apples will be sold at $5 each for a chance for participants to win half the money collected. The winning apple will be drawn at 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Apples can be purchased at the Chamber of Commerce booth near the main stage.

Back by popular demand this year is "The Gunny Sack Revue," who will perform from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, followed by the country band "Battle Creek" from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Gary Brock and Eagle Creek from Nashville will take the stage from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

Craft vendors, a flea market and sidewalk sales will line the streets of Atwood. On Friday, Pack 76 Cub Scouts of Atwood-Hammond will serve sloppy joe sandwiches, chips, cookie and a drink from 5 to 7 p.m.

A beer tent will be located in the P&C grocery store parking lot.

Scheduled to appear Friday will be "Pop Rocks," and on Saturday "River Bottom Nightmare" is scheduled to perform. The beer tent hours both days will be 7 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

Saturday morning, breakfast will be served from 6 to 9 a.m. by the United Church of Atwood. A horseshoe pitching tournament will be held on Saturday, with registration at 9 a.m. and the tournament scheduled to start at 10 a.m.

A parade is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday.

For information on several other activities for the weekend – and the more than 200 dozen apple dumplings expected to be baked this year – call the Atwood Visitor's Center at 578-2734 or go to www.atwoodil.com.