
Taste a variety of apples that are not found commercially today.

A petting pen is a popular place for children and their parents.

Local musicians add to the enjoyment.

The Ruritan Club will be cooking brunswick stew for sale all day.
|
The Shelton Family and Vintage Virginia Apples thank you for supporting our 8th Apple Harvest Festival held here at Rural Ridge Farm. We dedicated this day to celebrating the agricultural heritage of Southern Albemarle County and to sharing the world of vintage and heritage apples and fruit trees with our friends and neighbors. This year we paid special attention to inviting neighboring craftspeople and artisan food and drink producers, some of whom sold fresh produce, meat and dairy and others who offered a variety of tasty items for lunch.
The day was packed with fun and educational activities for the whole family:
- Craft sales and demonstrations
- Heritage apple varieties for tasting and purchase
- Apples and Artisan Cheese tasting (facilitated by Professor Apple, Tom Burford, and Kate Collier of feast!; www.feastvirginia.com)
- "Growing your Own Winter Salad Garden," by Margaret Shelton
- Cider and wine tastings and sales, facilitated by Diane Flynt of Foggy Ridge Cider and featuring the wines of famed local vintners Gabriele Rausse and Michael Shaps
- Chuck Shelton, leading tours and discussions around our new Cidery, discussing the historic significance of cider and today's manufacturing techniques
- In the Kitchen magazine judging the annual Apple Pie contest
-
The CoveGarden Ruritan Cub providing Brunswick Stew cooked on site
- Apple Butter made from a special selection of vintage apples and simmered all morning
- Hayrides taking visitors over the ridge above the farm
- A bake sale, an old-fashioned hot dog and hamburger stand, and activities designed to appeal to small children, including games and an animal exhibit
- "Children’s Tasting Workshops" facilitated by Sarah Teaster of feast! (recommended for children 5 to 12 years old)

Schedule of Events
| Time and Events |
Location |
11:00 a.m.: Apple Tasting (FREE!)
Children's Tasting Workshop
Cider and Wine Tasting
Growing Your own Winter Salad Garden, with Margaret Shelton |
Apple Sales Tent
Main Tent
Tasting Room
Main Tent |
12:00 noon: Apple Tasting (FREE!)
Cidery Talk and Tour
Slow Food Apple Pie Contes
Cider and Wine Tasting |
Apple Sales Tent
Apple Sales Tent
Main Tent
Tasting Room |
1:00 p.m.: Rare Apple Tasting
Children's Tasting Workshop
Cider and Wine Tasting |
Outside Tasting Room
Main Tent
Tasting Room |
2:00 p.m.: feast! Apple and Artisan Cheese Tasting
Cider and Wine Tasting |
Main Tent
Tasting Room |
3:00 p.m.: Apple Tasting (FREE!)
Cidery Talk and Tour
Growing Your own Winter Salad Garden, with Margaret Shelton
Cider and Wine Tasting |
Apple Sales Tent
Apple Sales Tent
Main Tent
Tasting Room |
4:00 p.m.: Apple Tasting (FREE!)
Cider and Wine Tasting |
Apple Sales Tent
Tasting Room |
Participants tasted dozens of varieties of apples, and watched cider
being pressed in hand operated mills. Apples, fresh cider, apple trees
and orchard items were offered for sale. Featured vendors included:
Alex Pettigrew, Cutting Boards |
|
| Clyde F. Jenkins, White Oak Baskets |
|
Phil and Sally James, Restoration & Reproduction |
Margaret Shelton, Shelton Herbs |
Richard and Jean, Double H Farm (produce & pork) |
Carolyn Alvis, Carolyn's Kitchen Creations (jams, salsa, pickles) |
Gail Hobbs-Page, Caromont Farm (chevre) |
Megan & Rob Weary, Roundabout Farm |
Bill & Kimberly Jones, Babes in the Woods |
Glenn Clayton & Glenn, Hungry Hill Farm (honey and products) |
Dr. Pat Elliott, Everona Dairy (cheese) |
Susan Swales, Wild Oats Farm (beef, lamb) |
Steph Rostow, Virginia Vinegar Works |
Daniel, According to Daniel |
Elena Day (pies, baked goods) |
Clive Papayanis (relish) |
Richard & Wendy, The Farm at Red Hill |
Richard Bean, Double H Farm (sausage, applesauce) |
Diane LaSauce, Free Union Produce and Gourmet Edibles |
Gabrielle Rausse Winery |
Diane Flynt, Foggy Ridge Cidery |
CoveGarden Ruritans (brunswick stew) |
Vintage Virginia Apples (apples, nursery trees, apple butter, cider, gift items) |
|
Hayrides carry guests over the ridge above the orchards for a spectacular
view in the scenic autumn landscape! Games and prizes are a popular attraction for the children.

Apple Pie Contest! Rowena Morrell,
editor and publisher of In The Kitchen organized an apple
pie contest. Entries were made by 11 a.m. on the day of the event.
Judges evaluated each entry and awarded a $50 prize to the first place winner, and the winning recipe will be published. After judging, the pies were sold by the slice.
Proceeds went to the CoveGarden Ruritan Club.

CoveGarden Ruritans sponsored a bake sale and offered a lunch grill
for those who wanted to buy a light lunch.
Get ready for next year! We hope to have our Cidery open by then.
Call or e-mail us with any questions you might have:

To Top
|