Carnival & Fair News

The 96th Apple Blossom Festival, located in Winchester, Va., offered a parade, a carnival, and so much more to those celebrating the annual springtime event. This year, the festival's theme was “Live Love Bloom.”

Festival president Sharen Gromling stressed that "The theme's inspirational message consists of three simple, short verbs that reflect the love our community has for this nearly 100-year tradition of celebrating the Bloom…the theme inspires us to live fully, love deeply and Bloom forever.”

The Apple Blossom Festival has come a long way since its 1924 beginning, when it was a single day event. Now running nine days, the festival employs four full time staff members and still relies a great deal on its enthusiastic local volunteers.

Held this year from April 28 through May 7, 2023, the event included its well-known parade and carnival, as well as golf and tennis tournaments, orchard tours, cider tasting, games and entertainment, a dance party, and antique fire trucks and car shows as well as a fire truck rodeo. A wine festival, kids' activities, arts and crafts booths, and of course, apples and apple blossoms were all a part of the mix. All in all, there were more than 40 entertaining events in Winchester, where many of the attendees wear pink and green to resemble the fest's blossom namesake.  

There are several parades wowing spectators, including The Hang 10 Car Wash Firefighters' Parade replete with firetrucks, and of course the Glo Fiber Grand Feature Parade which serves as a showcase for floats, bands, local celebrities, marching bands, and horses.

The floats have long been a big attraction for festival attendees, with this year's big winners including Blue Ridge Hospice Sweepstakes for Best Float Overall, with Monoflo International, and the Rotary Club of Winchester coming in second and third. White House Foods received the best theme float award with their Live Love Bloom entry. There were more floats than in previous years this year, according to a festival spokesperson. The grand marshal this year was Kate Flannery, a regular on the long-running TV hit The Office, and a former University of Shenandoah student. CNBC's Brian Sullivan was her co-marshal.

Along with the parades, among the most popular events were a fireworks display, a music fest, and the free fire truck rodeo. There was an apple pie baking contest and the coronation of the festival's queen. A country music party and the HoneyWay Apple Blossom Golf Classic were also big draws for the event.

The carnival, offered by Powers Great American Midways, was a big part of the celebration. The company has been offering rides and attractions for 25 years at the festival, according to Powers Great American Midways spokesman Marc Janas. The family-owned company has provided carnival rides and attractions for over 37 years throughout the East Coast, and is the proud recipient of the OABA Circle of Excellence Award.

Among the most popular attractions were the carnival's Giant Wheel, and some that were new for this year's celebration, including the surf-themed WipeOut that offered attendees a wave-like effect, and the retro-looking Crazy Cabs resembling New York checkered cabs, which appealed to kids. Janas was also pleased to offer a new attraction for teens and adults, the Techno Jump, from Satori rides. The ride rotates moving both clockwise and counterclockwise while its arms move up and down as if jumping. Colorful lighting completes the experience.



All in all, over 24 rides were available, including a brand-new ride that saw its debut for the carnival operator itself as well as at the festival. That was the Tesla AC ride, geared to teens and adults. Also a fast-spinning ride with multiple arm action, it comes from Tivoli manufacturing.

Along with individual ride tickets, all day ride passes were available for $35, allowing carnival guests the ability to enjoy every ride except the extreme pendulum KMG Air Raid attraction which was separately ticketed. The ride is well known for its towering height, and the intense nature of the gondolas that spin vertically.

Powers also provided a variety of midway food, including the popular funnel cakes and ice cream, as well as Italian sausage, gyros, and pizza. For those interested in a different form of tasty consumption, The United Bank Bloomin' Wine Fest provided food and entertainment as well as regional Virginia wines. That event was ticketed at $25. Free, the Old Town Winchester Artisan and Crafter Show also had plenty of appeal to festival attendees.

The executive director of the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival, Brad Veach, termed ticket sales strong, with many of the festival events sold out, including the big HoneyWay Apple Blossom Golf Classic.

Besides the new rides at the carnival, there were also some new events added to the festival itself this year, including a pickleball tournament, the Fiesta Latina with music, food, and dancing, and the Ultimate Dance Party event that featured dueling DJs. The plan, according to Beach was to create varied events that would appeal to a wide range of festival goers. The festival concluded its run May 7th with a concert from singer Michael W. Smith. Overall, the festival drew approximately 250,000 people during its run, according to city officials.