From Staff Reports

HENDERSONVILLE — The executive director of the North Carolina Apple Festival resigned June 23 over comments he made on social media about Juneteenth, according to the festival Facebook page. 

The post on the festival’s Facebook page said David Nicholson, the executive director of the festival, confirmed the resignation of David Nicholson, the event’s long-time.

Nicholson resigned one day after news outlets reported his Facebook post that — allegedly – disparaged the new Juneteenth holiday. His post also proposing instead an “Old Fat White Man Day.”

“In announcing Nicholson’s resignation and apologizing for it, the festival’s Board of Directors was unusually swift and decisive, reflecting the Apple Festival’s desire to avoid tainting the spirit of honoring the apple industry,” the Hendersonville Lightning newspaper reported on June 29.

A statement issued June 23 afternoon by the festival’s board asserted:

“For 76 years, the North Carolina Apple Festival has brought our community together to celebrate one of the most important agricultural crops grown in Henderson County and our local farmers.The N.C. Apple Festival couldn’t happen without the dedication of the board members who serve and volunteers throughout the year as well as the apple growers, vendors, entertainers and downtown merchants that participate during the festival weekend.

“As a board, we were saddened and disappointed to hear our executive director, David Nicholson, made disparaging remarks on social media about the Juneteenth Holiday. 

“We have accepted Mr. Nicholson’s resignation effective immediately. His remarks do not reflect or represent the board or our mission to the community. Just as we celebrate the apple harvest during Labor Day Weekend, we join in celebrating Juneteenth with all members of our community and apologize for the actions of Mr. Nicholson.”

Nicholson, who served as Henderson County manager from 1996 until 2005, briefly posted, then took down, the Facebook comment, that read, “The Post Office is closed today for some made-up holiday that I never heard of? Just when is the ‘Old Fat White Man Day’? I really want to celebrate this day,” the Lightning noted.

Elsewhere, Crystal Cauley, who advocates for the Black History Collective of Henderson County, called for Nicholson’s resignation on June 22 in an interview with Asheville television station WLOS (News 13).

“We would like for him to step down and have a new representative for the North Carolina Apple Festival because it represents us as a county here in Western North Carolina and throughout our state,” Cauley told the station.