MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (DC News Now) — It is a great time of year to be outdoors for fall season lovers.

In West Virginia’s eastern panhandle, many are preparing to celebrate the season with the region’s farm heritage. But this year’s Apple Harvest Festival adds a touch of Hollywood to the mix.

This 44th year of the festival features grand marshal and California actress, Skyler Shaye, best known for her work on Grey’s Anatomy, Hallmark’s JL Family Ranch and Dangerous Game on Paramount Plus.

Shaye’s ties to the region came when she married musical performer Christian Lopez, a Martinsburg native.

“When I met Christian he told me he was from Martinsburg, West Virginia and I said ‘where is that?'” Shaye said. “But having been here I love the aesthetics. I always said to Christian that it reminds me of a Norman Rockwell painting and that’s what I fell in love with.”

As her love for Lopez developed, so did her love for Martinsburg.

“We’re on the road a lot and in Los Angeles,” Lopez said. “When we’re here it really means a lot.”

The Bank of Charles Town (BCT) is also getting involved with the festival planning.

“Our presence here in the region is tied to the growth and prosperity of the farms that deliver such an abundant harvest,” Kristie Hadley, BCT’s senior vice president, said.

Katy Orr-Dove’s Orr’s Farm Market is an example of thriving agribusiness in Martinsburg.

“As people become more urban, they lose touch with what farming looks like,” Orr-Dove said. “They want to share the experience. They bring their families out to see about the apple picking experience.”

The festival starts on Oct. 19 and will go until Oct. 22.