Willie Smith’s Apple Shed is the hottest hut in the Huon Valley: craft ciders, artisan cheeses, and plenty of space to sit, chat, roll in the hay, etc. They’ve partnered up with other like-minded locals to throw a mini midwinter festival to celebrate the region’s apple-pickin’ history.
It’s crazy to think that Tassie, which is known as ‘The Apple Isle’, does not have a festival devoted to celebrating this great fruit and so we have gone back to traditions dating back to medieval times and we are bringing this to life in the Huon Valley!
The festival will awaken the Huon Valley this winter through a celebration focused on the apple – bringing the community together during the deepest darkest winter and letting people know that the Valley is Open for Business this Winter.
At its core is a focus on wassailing: the ages-old tradition of scaring nasties out of cider apple trees, from orchard to orchard, in order to bring on a stellar autumn yield. Now, things may seem a little strange at first: kings, queens, processions, giving gifts to the trees, shouting, banging, fire, candlelight, and so forth, but what else would you expect? And if none of that bobs your Geeveston fanny, that’s okay too — there’ll be cider, entertainment and feast-worthy food in abundance.
Event: Huon Valley Mid-Winter Festival
Date: Saturday 19th – Sunday 20th July, 2014
Location: The Apple Shed, 2064 Huon Highway, Grove, Tasmania, 7109
For more information: contact The Apple Shed on (03) 6266 4345, or visit the Huon Valley Mid Winter Festival website and Facebook Event page.