Apple Annual gala to return
Posted: Wednesday, Jul 9th, 2008
BY: TODD GUILD
Richard Hernandez, archive volunteer at the Pajaro Valley Historical Association, views a collection of programs and promotional material Tuesday from the California Apple Show circa 1910.
It’s been almost a century since Watsonville held its Apple Annual, a harvest celebration from a time when the fruit dominated Pajaro Valley’s agricultural scene, and the area boasted more than a million trees on 14,000 acres.
Now, organizers from the Redman-Hirahara Foundation are planning to revive the event.
To kick off the planning process, organizers have announced a poster contest for the return of the Apple Annual. The winning poster will be used as an advertisement for the celebration.
The idea to bring back the Apple Annual was launched when historians learned that the owner of the Redman House — a Victorian-style house sitting at West Beach Street and Lee Road — was involved in the early Pajaro Valley apple industry.
Appropriately, the celebration will be held at the Redman property, although ongoing restoration of the house will at first hinder a larger celebration.
“We’re going to start out small, because the property we can use is limited,” said Barbara Powell, executive director of the Redman-Hirahara Foundation. “But we hope to grow it into a harvest festival. We want to keep the apple spirit alive in the valley.”
Organizers hope to quickly finish the house and expand the property to eventually produce a family-friendly festival.
The first Apple Annual will be an adults-only event featuring apples and wine, food and appetizers.
The original Apple Annual was held in the end stages of autumn, when trees fading to yellows and reds were interspersed among the redwood trees and the multihued, verdant greens of Pajaro Valley’s year-round crops. The scent of apples and fallen leaves filled the air — a bittersweet harbinger of the encroaching winter.
The festival was launched in 1910 by the Board of Trade and the Chamber of Commerce as a way to spotlight Pajaro Valley’s apple growers. Organizers hoped to bring in $100,000 annually.
The success of the first festival exceeded expectations, with 40,000 people coming in from all over the country.
After three successful years, the Apple Annual moved to San Francisco in 1914 to be a part of the Panama Pacific International Exposition. It eventually faded away when World War I began.
Now, all that remains of the festival is found in a handful of books, a stack of programs and boxes of faded postcards, safely tucked into the file cabinets of the Pajaro Valley Historical Association.
Famed architect William Weeks designed the Apple Annual building to hold the festival. The massive structure sat on Second Street, where the fire station now stands. Despite the size of the building, a large tent had to be erected next door to hold the crowds and displays. This building became the Civic Center, where children went skating and boxing matches were held. The building was torn down in the 1960s.
The first Apple Annual was a weeklong celebration that featured more than 2 million apples from 15 counties. The fruit was incorporated into displays, food and enormous apple sculptures that ranged from buildings to boats.
The apple will join several already celebrated foods with their own annual festivals: Watsonville’s Strawberry, Castroville’s Artichoke and Gilroy’s Garlic.
“Its products, its agriculture, whatever the Pajaro Valley has to offer, we want to show it to the world,” said Powell.
•••
For information, visit www.redmanhouse.com.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••
*Photo by Tarmo Hannula, apple annual programs courtesy of the Pajaro Valley Historical Association*
BY: TODD GUILD
Richard Hernandez, archive volunteer at the Pajaro Valley Historical Association, views a collection of programs and promotional material Tuesday from the California Apple Show circa 1910.
It’s been almost a century since Watsonville held its Apple Annual, a harvest celebration from a time when the fruit dominated Pajaro Valley’s agricultural scene, and the area boasted more than a million trees on 14,000 acres.
Now, organizers from the Redman-Hirahara Foundation are planning to revive the event.
To kick off the planning process, organizers have announced a poster contest for the return of the Apple Annual. The winning poster will be used as an advertisement for the celebration.
The idea to bring back the Apple Annual was launched when historians learned that the owner of the Redman House — a Victorian-style house sitting at West Beach Street and Lee Road — was involved in the early Pajaro Valley apple industry.
Appropriately, the celebration will be held at the Redman property, although ongoing restoration of the house will at first hinder a larger celebration.
“We’re going to start out small, because the property we can use is limited,” said Barbara Powell, executive director of the Redman-Hirahara Foundation. “But we hope to grow it into a harvest festival. We want to keep the apple spirit alive in the valley.”
Organizers hope to quickly finish the house and expand the property to eventually produce a family-friendly festival.
The first Apple Annual will be an adults-only event featuring apples and wine, food and appetizers.
The original Apple Annual was held in the end stages of autumn, when trees fading to yellows and reds were interspersed among the redwood trees and the multihued, verdant greens of Pajaro Valley’s year-round crops. The scent of apples and fallen leaves filled the air — a bittersweet harbinger of the encroaching winter.
The festival was launched in 1910 by the Board of Trade and the Chamber of Commerce as a way to spotlight Pajaro Valley’s apple growers. Organizers hoped to bring in $100,000 annually.
The success of the first festival exceeded expectations, with 40,000 people coming in from all over the country.
After three successful years, the Apple Annual moved to San Francisco in 1914 to be a part of the Panama Pacific International Exposition. It eventually faded away when World War I began.
Now, all that remains of the festival is found in a handful of books, a stack of programs and boxes of faded postcards, safely tucked into the file cabinets of the Pajaro Valley Historical Association.
Famed architect William Weeks designed the Apple Annual building to hold the festival. The massive structure sat on Second Street, where the fire station now stands. Despite the size of the building, a large tent had to be erected next door to hold the crowds and displays. This building became the Civic Center, where children went skating and boxing matches were held. The building was torn down in the 1960s.
The first Apple Annual was a weeklong celebration that featured more than 2 million apples from 15 counties. The fruit was incorporated into displays, food and enormous apple sculptures that ranged from buildings to boats.
The apple will join several already celebrated foods with their own annual festivals: Watsonville’s Strawberry, Castroville’s Artichoke and Gilroy’s Garlic.
“Its products, its agriculture, whatever the Pajaro Valley has to offer, we want to show it to the world,” said Powell.
•••
For information, visit www.redmanhouse.com.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••
*Photo by Tarmo Hannula, apple annual programs courtesy of the Pajaro Valley Historical Association*
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