Each year in the early golden days of autumn, folks from all over gather in Chilhowie, Virginia, to celebrate. It is Apple Festival time a time to greet old friends and meet new ones, a time for the splendor of marching bands, beauty queens, and spicy sweet apples. It is a time to enjoy the goodness of life and to give thanks for the bounty of our families, friends, homes, businesses, and farms.

What better place to celebrate and say ‘Thanks To Our Farmers” than in Chilhowie where the agricultural community, especially the expansive orchards, have contributed so much to the area’s economy.

It seemed appropriate this year to recognize the steadfastness of our farmers. That’s why the theme “Thanks To Our Farmers” was chosen for this year’s Chilhowie Community Apple Festival.
The seed from which the celebration has grown was planted on a dreary, rainy night in March of 1953. A group of young men got together for the purpose of discussing possibilities of improving the town. During the evening it was decided to organize the Chilhowie Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees). The organization received its charter April 21, 1953.

Very early that spring, some members of this civic club visited the Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester, Virginia, and returned to the local club with the suggestion that Chilhowie stage a festival paying tribute to the apple. At the time Chilhowie was the second largest apple-producing center in Virginia. Thus, plans and ideas were developed for the beginning of the Chilhowie Apple Festival at the same time the Chilhowie Junior Chamber of Commerce was getting established.

The first Apple Festival was held on October 2 and 3, 1953 on the grounds of the old Chilhowie High School. Crowds, far larger than anticipated, attended that year’s events, and it was estimated that over 10,000 persons viewed the first parade.

Over the years, various forms of entertainment have been provided for visitors to the festival, including tours of local apple orchards, packing houses, and the cannery; sky-diving exhibitions; performances by professional square dancers, cloggers, and musical entertainers; a Model T car comedy; motorcycle rider show; and pony and horse shows. Events scheduled for public participation have been tractor-driving contests, talent shows, square dances, baby shows, sock hops, street dances, Kid’s Day activities, peanut football games, quartet singings, and barbecued chicken suppers. Regular events that have occurred during each festival include: beauty pageants, agricultural and crafts fair, Chilhowie High School football game, pet show, parade, crowning of the festival queen, and the band competition.
In 1965, members of the Jaycees realized that the Chilhowie Apple Festival had grown far beyond their original expectations. Help was needed in order to successfully plan and provide all of the essentials for the festivals in the future. Early that year, all of the civic organizations in Chilhowie were invited to participate in the planning and production of the festival. Each club was asked to send three members to serve on the Apple Festival Board of Directors. Those clubs accepted specific responsibilities to make the festival a success. It was at this time that the name of the festival was changed to The Chilhowie Community Apple Festival.

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