In Winchester, Virginia next week wear your pink and green. The city puts on one of America’s three biggest parades, a giant crafts fair and a good old county carnival.
Pink and green are the colors of the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival. Pink is for the blossoms and spring green for the leaves. In Winchester, this is the event of the year. More than 30 other activities surround the crowning event of the Grand Parade that begins rolling down Winchester’s streets on Saturday, May 3rd at 1:30 p.m.
What some argue is the best apple pie in America will be selected at the celebrated Apple Pie Cook-off, and the country’s largest display of firefighter equipment will delight kids of all ages as it rolls down the Winchester streets during Friday afternoon’s 5 p.m. Firefighters Parade.
A giant crafts fair spreads across fields as far as the eye can see. Everything from decorated baskets and apple candles to local paintings and hand-made mailboxes pack miles of side-by-side tents. Stalls selling fried dough, homemade apple pies, caramel apples, Virginia smoked ham sandwiches and other heart-healthy low-carb treats punctuate all these crafts displays.
Non-stop entertainment performs in giant tents at the edge of town with headliners from the days of old rock ‘n’ roll as well as Country and Western stars kicking up their heels together with lots of local talent. At night, crowds pack the downtown streets filled with food stalls and music. And throughout the festival week, at a good old-fashioned carnival Ferris Wheels turn, the twisting Octopus ride elicits panicked screams, carousels delight kids, calliopes play and cotton candy is spun continuously it seems.
I’ve been told that this parade, organized by the local community since 1924 is perhaps the third biggest parade in the country. The Rose Bowl Parade and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade are larger, but then Winchester’s Apple Blossom Parade marches into the list.
The Grand Marshal waving to fans along the parade route this year will be Fantasia Barrino, the American Idol third-year winner. Running back legend, Gayle Sayers will be this year’s Apple Blossom Sports Marshal. He will be speaking at the sports breakfast at the Winchester Moose Lodge and will ride in the afternoon parade. Jerry Rice’s (yes, that great receiver’s) daughter, Jaqui Rice, will be the 81st Apple Blossom Queen.
Newcomers to town may be puzzled by lawn chairs and tape set up holding spots along the parade route. These chairs have been setup along the sidewalks and lawns for weeks to save a place for viewing. Some families claim their spots for friends and kin and organizations like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts set up chairs and charge rent as a fundraising event.
Don’t be a stranger. Strike up a conversation with the locals along the parade route. They, for the most part are friendly and don’t bite. Plus, many families with houses along the parade route throw parties for friends with plenty of food and drink and space on front porches for prime viewing. They love out-of-towners who come to their city for the parade and will more than likely invite you in for a drink and to meet their neighbors.
Go to the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival site for information about more activities and events. Make sure to download the map of the parade route and parking areas. When arriving in town, stop by the tourist information office to get maps with locations of the carnival, crafts fairs and the music tents.
All photos by Charlie Leocha
From top to bottom:
Parade float
Carnival ferris wheel
Drummers in formation
Locals in lawn chairs
Cousin Betty (right) and niece Liz (left) in appropriate festival colors
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
