research dossier

Hilton Apple Festival Inc

Hilton, NY · EIN 222559729 · Form 990EZ · FY2025 · NTEE S12 · Community Improvement · Micro (<$100K) · hiltonapplefest.org

revenue

$36K

expenses

$20K

net assets

$65K

employees

—

mission · from form 990

The primary purpose of the organization is to sponsor an annual event whereas not-for-profit organizations, local farmers, and crafters have a chance to educate attendees about their history, product, and how their products are grown. Also, our mission is to offer free educational opportunities and raise awareness on these organizations through free funding entertainment and to donate the proceeds to other local charitable organizations within the community.

profile · synthesized from sources

Hilton Apple Festival Inc organizes an annual community festival in Hilton, NY, featuring local artisans, farmers, and crafters. The event includes educational opportunities, entertainment, and contests such as apple pie baking, photography, and porch decorating. Proceeds from the festival are donated to local charitable organizations, supporting community improvement efforts.

named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Apple Pie Contest

Annual baking competition with divisions for adults, teens, and children, judged on taste and presentation

Arts & Crafts Show

Juried exhibition featuring over 100 local crafters across categories including ceramics, jewelry, textiles, and woodwork

Corey’s Apple Pond

Family-friendly activity area where all participants are recognized as winners, promoting inclusive fun

Hilton Village Porch Decorating Contest

Community decoration contest celebrating autumn, with awards for grand prize and runner-up entries

Photo Contest

Annual photography competition with themes such as "All the Feels," open to adult, teen, and child participants

activities · 9 groups

What they do

Community Festival & Event Production 3 activities
- Host community events beyond the Apple Festival
  
  Organizes additional community events including a Village Holiday Tree lighting ceremony and a community road clean-up event.
- Organize and host annual Hilton Apple Festival
  
  Plans and operates the annual Hilton Apple Festival on the first weekend of October, featuring craft and food vendors, live entertainment, sponsorships, and community participation. The event includes approximately 100 craft booths, 22 food booths, and runs from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and 10am to 4:30pm on Sunday.
- Provide educational and vendor showcase opportunities at festival
  
  Offers educational opportunities and a platform for local farmers, crafters, and nonprofit organizations to share information about their products and practices with attendees through the annual festival.
Photography and Creative Arts Competitions 1 activity
- Administer annual logo, photo, and craft contests
  
  Hosts and manages multiple annual contests including a logo design contest with a $100 reward and complimentary merchandise for the winner, a photo contest with cash prizes and public display of entries, and a craft competition with over 100 participants.
Local High School Scholarship Programs 1 activity
- Award scholarships to local students
  
  Funds scholarships for local students, including awards to Jackson Esposito and Alana Neri in 2026.
Community Event Fundraising 1 activity
- Fund local charitable organizations and community initiatives
  
  Donates proceeds from the annual festival to local nonprofit organizations and community initiatives in the Hilton/Parma area, averaging $5,000 annually and totaling over $100,000 in the first 25 years.
Game Community Events & Expos 1 activity
- Host Card, Toy & Collectibles Expo
  
  Organizes a specialized expo featuring trading cards, action figures, LEGO sets, Funko Pops, comic books, local authors, and video games as part of the festival programming.
County and Regional Agricultural Fair Management 1 activity
- Host annual apple pie contest
  
  Organizes an apple pie baking contest with entries across adult, teen, and youth divisions, with 17 to 21 entries reported in recent years.
Inclusive Social & Recreational Events 1 activity
- Operate inclusive festival activities and services
  
  Provides inclusive activities such as Corey’s Apple Pond and free parking with shuttle service from Hilton High School to improve accessibility for attendees.
Event and Production Volunteer Coordination 1 activity
- Program live entertainment and vendor participation
  
  Coordinates live entertainment and commercial vendor participation in the annual festival through a formal application process, including dedicated inclusion of Vietnam Veterans.
Nonprofit Retail and Merchandise Sales 1 activity
- Sell festival merchandise
  
  Produces and sells festival merchandise including t-shirts, sweatshirts, pins, and hats featuring the annual commemorative logo during the event.

financials · form 990EZ · fy2025

revenue

Total revenue$36K

Contributions & grants$18K50%

Program service revenue——

Investment income——

Other revenue—

expenses

Total expenses$20K

Program expenses—

Admin / overhead—

Fundraising—

Salaries & benefits—

Grants paid out—

balance sheet

Total assets$65K

Cash—

Investments—

Liabilities—

Net assets$65K

5 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +70.4%

leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

board members · 9

Bill Nielson — Trustee
Deborah Buckhout — Trustee
Jane Twitchell — Trustee
Jeff Hand — Trustee
Karmen Penders — Trustee
Kayla Dengler — Trustee
Lydia Birr — Trustee
Matt Ulakovic — Trustee
Maureen Spindler — Trustee

relationships · 23

Who they work with

Arts and Crafts Committee Partner — Committee responsible for managing the Arts and Crafts Show at the Hilton Apple Festival.
Bausch & Lomb Partner — Employer of a community member who contributed artwork to the festival.
Cadet Cupboard Partner — Recipient of charitable donations from the auto show proceeds.
Classic Wheels on Main Street Partner — Recipient of annual donations from the Hilton Apple Festival.
Comfort Inn West Partner — Provides nearby hotel accommodations for festival attendees.
Corey’s Apple Pond Partner — Collaborates with Corey’s Apple Pond to provide inclusive festival activities.
Hamlin Dog Shelter Partner — Recipient of charitable donations from the auto show proceeds.
Hampton Inn Rochester North Partner — Provides nearby hotel accommodations for festival attendees, located 20 minutes from Hilton.
Hilton Family Pharmacy Partner — Location for distributing and collecting photo contest entry forms.
Hilton Food Shelf Partner — Recipient of charitable donations from the auto show proceeds.
Hilton Parma Community Council of Churches Partner — Recipient of annual donations from the Hilton Apple Festival.
Hilton Parma Emergency Food Shelf Partner — Recipient of annual donations from the Hilton Apple Festival.
Hilton Parma Fire District Partner — Recipient of annual donations from the Hilton Apple Festival.
Hilton/Parma Recreation Partner — Recipient of charitable donations from the auto show proceeds.
Linktree Partner — Hosts a centralized link hub for the Collectibles Expo information and vendor applications.
Ogden Farmers’ Library Partner — Location for distributing and collecting photo contest entry forms.
Parma Public Library Partner — Location for distributing and collecting photo contest entry forms.
Rochester Institute of Technology Network — Alma mater of a community member who contributed artwork to the festival.
Sleepy Bear Inn Partner — Provides nearby hotel accommodations for festival attendees in Spencerport.
Sophia Case Partner — Last year’s logo contest winner participating in judging this year’s entries.
Town of Parma Partner — Receives funding from the Hilton Apple Festival for community activities including concerts and children’s events.
Vietnam Veterans Partner — Collaborates with Vietnam Veterans through a dedicated application process for festival participation.
Walker FD Partner — Recipient of charitable donations from the auto show proceeds.

strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

Community Festival as Civic Platform

methodology: community-festival-model
By hosting an annual community festival, the organization fosters local engagement, supports regional culture and agricultural heritage, and generates visibility and funds for local nonprofits and artisans, because shared cultural experiences strengthen community ties and create sustainable support networks.
Community-Engaged Creative Participation

methodology: community-engaged-design
By inviting community members to contribute creatively—through logo design, photo contests, and memory-based submissions—the festival deepens local ownership and emotional investment, because participatory design strengthens personal connection to shared traditions.
Curated Inclusion Model

methodology: curated_participant_selection
By using an application-based selection process for participants, the festival ensures diverse and high-quality representation across arts, food, commerce, and nonprofits, because structured curation enhances attendee experience and supports equitable access to vendor opportunities.