Curtis Wilhoit was carefully watching the steaming kettles on Saturday morning at the annual Southerland Farms Fall Fest, listening to the popping and cracking that came from the fire that was heating what would soon be hundreds of pints of apple butter.

Wilhoit has helped the Cedar Creek Presbyterian Church youth make apple butter for many years.

The process: apple sauce is poured into kettles that are over an open flame. The water is cooked out of the apple sauce, then sugar, cinnamon and color are added into the mix.

It takes four to five hours before the apple butter can be placed in jars.

"It's good when it's done," said Wilhoit, who noted that 240 pints of apple butter were made at last year's Fall Fest. "It's a good project for the youth."

The youth sell the apple butter for $5 per pint, and the proceeds in turn benefit the youth group program.

The chance to make apple butter was one of the many activities taking place at the sixth annual Southerland Farms Fall Fest celebration over the weekend.

The three-day event, running from Friday through Sunday, was held at the Southerland Farms in the Cedar Creek community.

"I'm very pleased to have people come out on the farm and look around and enjoy the hayride and the views -- just enjoy the farm," said Gywn Southerland/. She and her husband, Petie, own Southerland Farms.

She estimated that more than 100 people had visited the fall fest as of noon on Saturday. And she was expecting more than 100 people for Sunday's events.

Live entertainment, craft vendors, hay rides and food were all a part of the festivities.

On Saturday, rising country performers, the Aly Taylor Band, played at 1 p.m.

In addition, Winter & Dance Company gave a performance on Sunday, followed by a musical performance featuring the new local country/blues band Step Cousins.

There was an old-fashioned "Dinner on the Grounds" at 1 p.m. Sunday.

The Southerland farm is designated as a Tennessee Century Farm with the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University.