BURTON, Ohio — It's almost time for the 77th annual Apple Butter Festival at Century Village, the biggest weekend of the year for the historic hub.
For more than 80 years, the scenic 62-acre property has served as a staple of Geauga County history, featuring nearly 30 buildings that were once scattered across the county and brought to the site to preserve them from destruction.
But as News 5 reported last year, the property was struggling with maintenance issues and 15 liens. Treasurer Jim Vinecourt went as far as to say that without help, Century Village could have ended up going to the highest bidder.
RELATED: Donations needed to keep Geauga County's Century Village open and running
"If we don't get people aware, and people more interested and people more excited to come back, then we will lose it," Vinecourt said at the time.
Watch the original story from August 2024 here:
Now, as they prepare for their annual Apple Butter Festival, officials said they're in about 20% better shape than they were 12 months ago, including reducing the number of liens on the property.
"We've gotten a little better," Vinecourt said. "Now we're down to — I think we're down to eight. We're getting closer."
The improvements over the past year include new roofs for several buildings and an HVAC system to help preserve the artifacts inside — addressing some of the maintenance backlog that had accumulated over the years.
"This was the first roof since 1991 we put on any of the buildings, so we were a little behind," Vinecourt said. "We have to do roofs all the time because we have so many in here."
Despite the progress, challenges remain. Vinecourt told News 5 that memberships are down this year, and they're hoping events like the Apple Butter Festival will draw more visitors to support the historic site.
"We're here trying to save the history of Geauga County and the history of our country," Vinecourt said. "We're going to be 250 years old next year.
The Apple Butter Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Century Village in Burton. To buy tickets to the event, click here.
