small town loveliness

this weekend i'm heading up to sebastopol for their annual apple blossom festival. we'll be arriving early so there's time for breakfast before the parade, then spend the day wandering through the quilt show, art show, watching the bands, snacking on funnel cakes...

it makes me a little sad that the once gravenstein-rich apple orchards are dissappearing--replaced by more lucrative wine grapes, but i love that the festival lives on.

Apple Blossom Festival History

Sebastopol's celebration of apples dates back to 1910, when the first
great Apple Shows capped the annual harvest with all the excitement of a state fair. The shows were first sponsored by the American Legion and brought renown to the agricultural area from which a few thousand freight-car-loads of apples were shipped annually. Eventually, the Sebastopol Area Chamber of Commerce took over sponsorship of the event.

In 1947, George E. Keefe, Jr. originated the idea of the Sebastopol Apple Blossom Festival. This spring-time event has run almost continuously since then, and became the Chamber's biggest community promotion project. Apple Blossom Queens were originally gradeschool girls. Later, the honor went to the high-school girl who presold the most festival tickets.

By 1965, the Sebastopol Apple Blossom Tour was listed as one of the U.S.'s top 20 events for the month of April, according to ratings from the National Association of Travel Organizations.

Today, the festival's tradition lives on despite the fact that apples are no longer Sebastopol's largest industry. Residents continue to celebrate the heritage that gave rise to this beautiful and unique community in Western Sonoma County.

someday, i will make this town my home and have apple trees of my own.