The 11-day Washington State Apple Blossom Festival is held in Wenatchee (150 mi. E of Seattle) from the last weekend in April to the first weekend in May. The festival reflects the importance of the Apple Industry to Washington State, exhibiting the pride that its many volunteers take in the Wenatchee area’s spectacular natural beauty, its prosperous economy, and family values.
The first Apple Blossom Festival in the country, and the oldest major festival in the state of Washington*, the Wenatchee festival draws thousands of visitors from around the world and is a great getaway for anyone living west of the Cascades.
*Only Sequim Irrigation Days in Western Washington is older.
About Apples
Apples photo by C. Cancler
While the actual origin of apples is not known, it is likely the apple tree originated between the Caspian and the Black Seas. There is proof that man has enjoyed apples for at least 750,000 years. Apples were a favorite of the ancient Romans and Greeks.
Early settlers of the United States brought apple seeds with them. According to records belonging to the Massachusetts Bay Company, apples were grown in New England as early as 1630. As the United States was settled, traders, missionaries and Native Americans transported apple seeds west. John Chapman, also known as Johnny Appleseed, was responsible for extensive apple tree plantings in the Midwest.
Apples found their way to Washington State in 1826 on a Hudson’s Bay Company sailing vessel. Here, the apple industry has grown to national significance. Washington State produces about 70 percent of the apples in the United States. Other leading states include New York, Pennsylvania, California and Virginia. China leads the world in apple production, harvesting a record 38 million tons in 2012, followed by the United States.
More than 175,000 acres of apple orchards are nestled in the eastern foothills of the picturesque Cascade Mountains of Washington State. The average size of a Washington Apple orchard is about 100 acres, but some cover as many as 5,000 acres and employ 300 or more farm workers year-round. It takes an estimated 35,000 to 45,000 pickers to harvest the apple crop during the peak of harvest. Washington State growers successfully harvest a wide variety of apples including Red and Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala and many others.
2020 Washington State Apple Blossom Festival
Where: Wenatchee, WA (about 150 miles east of Seattle)
When: April 23 – May 3, 2020
What: There are a number of activities and events taking place in throughout the 10-day festival. For a complete list of events, visit the Apple Blossom Festival calendar.
Carnival Ride Tickets: Pay one Price Wrist are available daily at the festival for $40 dollars per person, and include unlimited rides, three game tickets, and one food item. Discounts: Available by advance purchase before opening day. Option #1: Unlimited Ride Wristband for $30.00 per person. Option #2: 120 tickets for $50.00 to split between multiple people.
Wentachee Apple Blossom Festival happens every spring – DepositPhotos.com
Hi Gary, I know nothing about apple blossoms in Wenatchee, since that’s quite a ways from Seattle as well, almost as far as it is from Spokane (just 20 miles difference). But I’m not sure the Wenatchee festival is as much about blooms as it is about celebrating the apple. However, cherry blossoms in Seattle bloom over a period of 6 weeks or so, because like apple blossoms, there are early season, mid-season, and late season varieties. So in all likelihood, if you go to Apple Blossom in Wenatchee, there will be blooms somewhere in the valley. If you go, report back and let us know.
Any idea when blooms will be on? Want to come over from Spokane in our motorhome for a few days.