Get ready for this year’s Washington State Apple Blossom Festival – the festivities will be bigger, better, and more memorable in 2020. Originally set for May 8-9, the organizers are hoping to move the festivities to the Fourth of July weekend due to COVID-19.
From old traditions to new faces, there’s never a dull moment during the Manson Apple Blossom Festival. Here’s what to expect from this year’s festivities, which mark the festival’s 100th year.
Chicken Noodle Dinner
What’s more comforting than a chicken noodle soup? Nothing evokes the memories of home quite like a steaming bowl of this clear broth. There’s a reason why we hanker for a bowl whenever we’re sick, or when we find ourselves struggling to cope with the cold, biting winters.
So this year, we invite everyone to share this feel-good soup during the festival. Enjoy the warmth and comfort of home during the Chicken Noodle Soup Dinner, which kicks off the festivities and acquaints everyone in the community.
Come with an empty stomach and an appetite for chicken noodle soup. Leave with your heart – and your stomach – full.
Festival of Royalty
After the Chicken Noodle Soup Dinner, organizers will lead the official opening of this year’s festival, followed by the coronation of Festival Royalty. Who will this year’s Royalty be?
Competition is stiff this 2020 – the following candidates are in the running for the crown:
- Teresa Venegas
- Nadia Verduzco
- Evelyn De Jesus
- Libbey Ireland
- Brenda Alonso
Click here to get to know this year’s hopefuls.
You can also indulge in some nostalgia by looking back at previous Royalty winners, all the way back to 1921.
North Cascades Pig Jig Fun Run
Join the fun run, join a cause – proceeds from the race will go to the Manson Apple Blossom Scholarship Fund. Registration is $18 while event shirts are available for $10.
There is no age limit to participation. Strollers and pets are also allowed. Just bring your printed ticket on the day of the race or register on-site – just make sure to come an hour early.
Grand Parade
And now, for the parade! This year’s theme, “Enchanted Manson”, celebrates the community as the producer of some of finest apples in the United States. Dress up your car, float, or horse (poop scooper required) to suit the theme and claim your title as parade winner.
Participants must have insurance and a valid driver’s license.
Click here for the application form.
Festival Co-Chair Launie Buck told Lake Chelan Now that a summer parade might pose challenges to downtown businesses and so the organizers are looking for ways to make sure that the event causes as little inconvenience as possible.
Though there is still no guarantee that the parade will go through this summer, Buck believes that the Royalty deserves a memorable float parade through town since 2020 marks the festival’s centennial.
3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
The competition doesn’t end with the parade – the basketball tournament takes place right after, so you’ll barely have time to catch your breath if you’re joining both. This year’s basketball tournament celebrates the sportsmanship, athleticism, and teamwork of Manson’s youth.
Sign up for the games here. Or you can watch from the sidelines and cheer for your favorite team.
Quilt Show
Manson celebrates creativity, so take out your best homemade quilts and join the annual Quilt Show – one of the most anticipated events in the festival. The Quilt Show is the community’s way of showing appreciation for local artisans as well as the craft of quilt making.
Click here for the registration forms.
Ready to find the perfect home in Lake Chelan and the surrounding areas? You can message Coldwell Banker Lake Chelan Properties here. You can also reach our team at 509.682.7777 and Info(at)CBChelan(dotted)com. We’d be more than happy to assist you.