Wednesday September 20, 2023 | SOOKE, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends | FOOD SECURITY NEWS
The Sooke Apple Festival is back in full swing. Organized by the Sooke Food CHI group, the 2023 event will be outdoors at Sunriver Community Orchard on Sunday September 24.
The weather forecast might include rain, but that won’t stop the long-devoted Sooke agricultural crowd from setting up and displaying their produce and information.
It’s the seventh Apple Festival since the idea got going. A few years were missed during the pandemic, and last year was low-key at the museum grounds location.
Organizers say the Sooke Apple Festival is “a day celebrating the town’s agricultural heritage and distinctive apple varieties”. Quite the combo!
Family friendly, but no pets:
The Sooke Apple Festival is a free family-friendly event, but pets should be kept at home (as is the case for the Sunriver Community Gardens itself).
Donations welcome — you can do that at the Sooke Food CHI table, to benefit the operation of the Sunriver Community Orchard.
What to expect:
Activities at Sooke Apple Festival on Sunday September 24, from 10 am to 3 pm:
- Apple Sales – heritage and local Apples! some plums and pears too – please bring your own shopping bag and CASH
- Apple Identification – bring some apples from your unknown apple tree and find out what variety it is – located at the Apple Shack
- Apple Pie for sale by-the-slice
- Coffee Bar and treats
- Candied Apples
- Apple Pie Auction!!! begins at 1:30 p.m.
- Apple, Pear, Plum and Quince Trees from Denman Island Heritage Apples
- Fresh local Vegetables
- Fresh Maple Syrup
- Japanese Maple Trees and Ornamental Shrubs
- Kid Play Zone
- Live Music – performed by Gord Philips
Don’t touch the plants in the garden!
Organizers ask that folks not ouch or sample any of the plants or veggies growing in the Sunriver Community Garden. That’s a year-round operation, separate from Sooke Food CHI’s special day on September 24.
- Keep children out of the garden plots
- Keep a safe distance (2 metres) from gardeners working on their plots or moving around the garden
Parking:
There is usually ample parking.
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