At Cenex®, we believe local festivals are the heartbeat of small-town communities. That’s why we created Hometown Throwdown—to help towns celebrate their traditions, bring people together, and continue making lasting memories. This year, we’re thrilled to announce that the Olde Tyme Apple Festival in Versailles, Missouri, has been crowned our $100,000 grand prize winner!
Congratulations to Versailles, Missouri
The Olde Tyme Apple Festival brings together small-town charm and festive fall spirit. Held every October, this two-day event includes a parade, a fiddler’s contest, a play with local actors, live music and, of course, plenty of apple-themed desserts.
What truly makes this festival special is its dedication to supporting the local community, with all proceeds funding scholarships for high school students and other local initiatives. It’s no surprise that the Versailles community rallied for their favorite festival when the voting period opened.
2025 Hometown Throwdown finalists
But they weren’t the only town that came together to rally for their festivals. Hazen Chalkfest in North Dakota secured second place with a $20,000 prize, Borderline Chalkfest in Wahpeton, North Dakota, came in third with $15,000, Windmill Days in Baldwin, Wisconsin, earned fourth with $10,000, and Mapleton, Iowa’s 4th of July Celebration grabbed fifth place and $5,000. Each of these festivals will use the prize money to enhance and grow their events.
Cenex: Building stronger communities, one festival at a time
Launched in 2023 with Norborne Soybean Festival taking home the grand prize, Hometown Throwdown builds on the Cenex brand’s longstanding tradition of supporting the communities it serves. With a network of locally owned and operated convenience stores in over 1,000 communities across 19 states, Cenex has invested more than $850,000 to strengthen local initiatives through grants and community giveback programs like Hometown Throwdown.
These efforts have funded over 80 community projects, ranging from athletic workshops in schools to support for local food shelters to initiatives that foster community pride such as local festivals and more. Learn more about the role that local festivals play in communities.
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