Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival
Encyclopedia
The Apple Blossom Festival is an annual agricultural and heritage celebration held in Nova Scotia
's Annapolis Valley
usually the last weekend of May.
Established in 1933 to promote the valley's traditions and agricultural heritage, valley communities from Windsor
to Digby
that can afford to contribute financially are welcomed to come together to celebrate this special event each year, although the majority of celebrations are focused in the eastern valley communities of Kentville
, and Wolfville
. The primary focus of the festival in recent decades has been to promote itself as a family event for all valley communities and visitors. The Apple Blossom Festival has become one of the most important community festivals in Atlantic Canada.
Early promoters of the festival intended for the event to recognize the scenic beauty of the Valley and the historic background of the apple
growing industry, as well as to provide an opportunity to foster and develop local cultural talent through participation in festival events. As a result of change and diversification of the region's growing economy, the festival now showcases a variety of local businesses while continuing to promote local cultural talent and highlight the area's scenic beauty.
Community involvement in the festival has always been its strength. Preparation requires organizing 300 volunteers to plan and participate over a time frame of several months.
Major events such as the Grand Street Parade, children's parade and the Apple Blossom Concert are complemented by numerous social events, such as dances, barbecues, and old-style home-cooked dinners at church and community halls, and other social affairs in towns and villages throughout the length of the valley. During the Festival, Kentville's downtown core is alive with patrons at several local taverns and pubs, and is a traditional place to catch up and renew acquantinces.
The festival draws many tourists to the area to take in a number of festival events and local culture while also enjoying the beautiful scenery of the valley with apple orchard
s in full bloom.
The Apple Blossom Grand Street Parade is one of the largest parades in Canada, drawing close to 100,000 people along the route, which runs from New Minas to Kentville and includes marching bands and various floats sponsored by community groups and local businesses. There are also floats for participants in the festival's pageant, who are referred to as "princesses" (one representing each town in the valley). The winning princess is proclaimed "Queen Annapolisa", and she represents the area for the coming year at various events. Queen Annapolisa is traditionally crowned on Friday evening, the night before the Grand Street Parade, at a gala event. In addition to the Grand Street Parade, The Apple Blossom Festival boasts the largest children's parade in Canada, taking place generally on Saturday morning before the Grand Street Parade.
The annual fireworks display is sponsored by one of the region's largest employers, the Michelin
tire company, which has a large plant
in Waterville
, a village to the west of Kentville. In the early 1990s, at Michelin's request, the Thursday night fireworks show which had always kicked off the weekend long Apple Blossom Festival, was moved to Saturday night. Since then it has alternated between Friday and Saturday night.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
's Annapolis Valley
Annapolis Valley
The Annapolis Valley is a valley and region in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It is located in the western part of the Nova Scotia peninsula, formed by a trough between two parallel mountain ranges along the shore of the Bay of Fundy.-Geography:...
usually the last weekend of May.
Established in 1933 to promote the valley's traditions and agricultural heritage, valley communities from Windsor
Windsor, Nova Scotia
Windsor is a town located in Hants County, Mainland Nova Scotia at the junction of the Avon and St. Croix Rivers. It is the largest community in western Hants County with a 2001 population of 3,779 and was at one time the shire town of the county. The region encompassing present day Windsor was...
to Digby
Digby, Nova Scotia
Digby is a Canadian town in western Nova Scotia. It is the shiretown and largest population centre in Digby County.The town is situated on the western shore of the Annapolis Basin near the entrance to the Digby Gut which connects the basin to the Bay of Fundy.Named after Admiral Robert Digby, RN,...
that can afford to contribute financially are welcomed to come together to celebrate this special event each year, although the majority of celebrations are focused in the eastern valley communities of Kentville
Kentville, Nova Scotia
Kentville is a town in Kings County, Nova Scotia. It is one of the main towns in the Annapolis Valley, and it is the county seat of Kings County. As of 2006, the town of Kentville had a population of 5,815 people....
, and Wolfville
Wolfville, Nova Scotia
Wolfville is a small town in the Annapolis Valley, Kings County, Nova Scotia, Canada, located about northwest of the provincial capital, Halifax. As of 2006, the population was 3,772....
. The primary focus of the festival in recent decades has been to promote itself as a family event for all valley communities and visitors. The Apple Blossom Festival has become one of the most important community festivals in Atlantic Canada.
Early promoters of the festival intended for the event to recognize the scenic beauty of the Valley and the historic background of the apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
growing industry, as well as to provide an opportunity to foster and develop local cultural talent through participation in festival events. As a result of change and diversification of the region's growing economy, the festival now showcases a variety of local businesses while continuing to promote local cultural talent and highlight the area's scenic beauty.
Community involvement in the festival has always been its strength. Preparation requires organizing 300 volunteers to plan and participate over a time frame of several months.
Major events such as the Grand Street Parade, children's parade and the Apple Blossom Concert are complemented by numerous social events, such as dances, barbecues, and old-style home-cooked dinners at church and community halls, and other social affairs in towns and villages throughout the length of the valley. During the Festival, Kentville's downtown core is alive with patrons at several local taverns and pubs, and is a traditional place to catch up and renew acquantinces.
The festival draws many tourists to the area to take in a number of festival events and local culture while also enjoying the beautiful scenery of the valley with apple orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
s in full bloom.
The Apple Blossom Grand Street Parade is one of the largest parades in Canada, drawing close to 100,000 people along the route, which runs from New Minas to Kentville and includes marching bands and various floats sponsored by community groups and local businesses. There are also floats for participants in the festival's pageant, who are referred to as "princesses" (one representing each town in the valley). The winning princess is proclaimed "Queen Annapolisa", and she represents the area for the coming year at various events. Queen Annapolisa is traditionally crowned on Friday evening, the night before the Grand Street Parade, at a gala event. In addition to the Grand Street Parade, The Apple Blossom Festival boasts the largest children's parade in Canada, taking place generally on Saturday morning before the Grand Street Parade.
The annual fireworks display is sponsored by one of the region's largest employers, the Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
tire company, which has a large plant
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
in Waterville
Waterville, Nova Scotia
Waterville is a Canadian community in Kings County, Nova Scotia.Located on the Cornwallis River, the community is located 15 kilometres west of Kentville and is home to the Waterville/Kings County Municipal Airport, a Michelin tire factory, as well as the provincial youth detention facility.As of...
, a village to the west of Kentville. In the early 1990s, at Michelin's request, the Thursday night fireworks show which had always kicked off the weekend long Apple Blossom Festival, was moved to Saturday night. Since then it has alternated between Friday and Saturday night.