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The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival is a ten-day extravaganza hosted annually to celebrate the arrival of spring and the apple blossoms flowering in the orchards surrounding the city. The festival is Winchester's signature event. Residents and businesses decorate for the occasion and wear the official colors of the festival – pink and green. First held in 1924, it is one of the oldest civic celebrations in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Crowds in excess of 250,000 attend the festival each year.
Coordinated by members of the Winchester and Frederick County firefighters for the 88th year, the 2022 Firefighters' Parade will commence at 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 29th. See the Antique Firetruck's start with the pre-parade showcasing vintage firefighting equipment dating back to the Civil War. Career and volunteer firefighters driving and riding in 200 vehicles, representing 4 states and DC, will converge downtown for the start of the annual Firefighters' Parade that lasts over two hours. Our local Fire Companies are in the first of four Division's to display their latest state-of-the art equipment. I would like to give a shoutout to Stephens City Volunteer Fire and Rescue as our oldest county fire company, established in 1939. The fourth Division is the Siren Division where the Fire Companies can sound their sirens, symbolizing the cavalry call of a fire engine racing towards an emergency. There are Miss Honorary Fire Company winners, celebrities, marching school, military and civic bands and numerous special units.
The route is approximately 1.5 miles and takes approximately 45 minutes to complete. It begins at the corner of South Cameron and East Cork Streets and winds around the historic downtown area (trail of pink petals), terminating at the Grand Stand near the iconic Handley High School campus. Thousands of people will line the parade route. This is a scintillating event, where friends, families and the entire community gather to give homage to our uniformed firefighters and paramedic personnel.
The first Torchlight and Mummers' Parade (forerunner of the Firefighters' Parade) took place on Thursday April 18, 1929 and began at 8 pm with all four of the Winchester fire departments participating. Each firefighter carried a flaming torch to lend a dramatic effect as well as to light up the streets. The start time gradually grew earlier as the parade became longer due to neighboring fire companies being invited to participate in the event.
In 1936 the parade name changed to Rouss Fireman's Torchlight Parade. In 1947, the Winchester and Frederick County fire companies elected the first Honorary Fire and Rescue Chief to represent them. In 1950 the name changed to Fireman's Parade and again to Firefighters Parade in 1981. It is now the largest congregation of firefighters and equipment and the oldest continuous annual parade of its type in the world.
Do not forget the free Fire Truck Rodeo and Antique Show. A day dedicated to fire trucks. Rodeo competition starts Friday at 9:30 am, rain or shine at Millbrook High School. Come on out for the chance to see antique and brand new fire engines, aerial ladders and specialty vehicles up close. Many of the antique vehicles and equipment are more than 140 years old.
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