Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival

Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival

Early May

This four-day celebration of the apple orchards of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley is held in Winchester, the state's apple center. The festival was inaugurated in 1924 to publicize the area's historic, scenic, and industrial assets. Its motto was: "The bounties of nature are the gift of God." Winchester was settled in 1732, and George Washington, an early landlord in the area, required each tenant to plant four acres of apples.
The festival comes when the orchards are in bloom. About 250,000 people visit to enjoy the pink and white blossoms and the special events, including the coronation of Queen Shenandoah, a title once held by Luci Baines Johnson, former President Lyndon B. Johnson's youngest daughter. The 2001 Queen was Tyne Vance, granddaughter of former President Gerald R. Ford. Other attractions are parades, concerts and band competitions, a circus, and fireworks.

CONTACTS:
Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival Inc.
135 N. Cameron St.
Winchester, VA 22601
800-230-2139 or 540-662-3863
www.thebloom.com

SOURCES:
AmerBkDays-2000, p. 332
GdUSFest-1984, p. 202