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Banker with deep county roots chosen as Grand Marshal of King Apple Parade

Fair Nabers Waggoner rides in the King Apple Parade as an East Henderson High School cheerleader.

By Lightning Reports, Published: March 27, 2026

Fair Nabers Waggoner, whose family connection to the apple industry reaches back more than 90 years, has been named Grand Marshal of the 2026 King Apple Parade, the North Carolina Apple Festival announced.

Sponsored by Pardee UNC Health, the parade on Labor Day culminates the four-day salute to Henderson County's signature crop. This year's 80th annual North Carolina Apple Festival has a theme of “80 Years Strong – A Sweet Tradition.”

Waggoner’s grandfather operated a small family farm in Saluda, and her grandmother was named the first Apple Queen of Saluda in 1939. As a teenager, Waggoner worked for the Times-News as a junior reporter and even wrote an article about her grandmother’s recognition.

She grew up in the Deep Gap community and graduated from East Henderson High School in 1993. After college, she returned to Henderson County to begin her career in finance, where she discovered a passion for community banking and supporting local businesses.

Waggoner’s own involvement with the Apple Festival spans decades. As a high school student in the 1990s, she worked at the festival for McGuffey’s  as a street vendor. Over the years she has also participated in the King Apple Parade as an East Henderson High School cheerleader and as part of various community groups and workplaces.

“I’m a bit of a local parade junkie,” Waggoner said with a laugh. “You’ll usually find me on the corner near the Skyland Hotel so my people in the parade can see me and I can see them.”

Seventeen years ago, Waggoner helped establish the Apple Farmer of the Year Award through United Community Bank. The award recognizes outstanding apple growers and reflects the bank’s philosophy to “put energy where our dollars go” by supporting the agricultural community that is central to Henderson County.

“Being named the Grand Marshal of the King Apple Parade is the quintessential hometown honor for me,” Waggoner said. “I’ve grown up around apples and apple farmers, and the purity of the industry is something I don’t want taken for granted. It is an honor to highlight these farmers and to be a special part of the parade.”

Waggoner is the mother of two children, Drake, 23, and Tucker, 18, who is graduating from East Henderson High School as a fourth-generation Eagle. Fair is active in the community, serving on several local boards, and enjoys cooking, writing, yoga, hiking, and restoring her family cabin.

The 80th North Carolina Apple Festival, presented by AdventHealth, will take place Labor Day weekend (Sept. 4–7) in downtown Hendersonville and will celebrate eight decades of honoring apple growers and the agricultural heritage of Henderson County and beyond.