A much-loved annual event, this year’s Ely Apple Festival was sponsored by Orchards Green, the exciting new community development north of the city. Local councillors, residents and visitors from around the region enjoyed fun, educational and environmental activities on the cathedral’s Palace Green in a day organised by East Cambridgeshire District Council (ECDC) and Watergull Orchards.
With a strong community ethos, Orchards Green also worked alongside the ECDC Tourism and Town Centres Team to support renown local artist Jane Frost in a public art project engaging children from the Isle of Ely Primary School, who created a wonderful willow apple sculpture displayed at the festival opening.
Together with attractions such as woodturning, storytelling, apple and spoon races, folk music, candle making and the ever-popular longest apple peel competition, experts from the East of England Apples and Orchard Project were on hand to identify apple varieties while local suppliers provided a feast of apple-themed food and drink.