83rd Theme Announcement

Festival Asks: “DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC!”

If any local event is renowned for its “production values,” it has to be the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival®. In keeping with this Festival tradition; and, no stranger to the stage herself, Festival President, Elaine Aikens, introduced the 2010 Festival Theme in dramatic fashion at the Annual Theme Announcement Party held on Monday evening, November 9th. Leaving the podium, Elaine walked out onto the dance floor in front of a packed house. “It’s a powerful feeling,” she said, as she popped open her magic top hat and placed it on her head, “and magic is in the air!” As a magic cane popped out of her right hand, she exclaimed, “Do You Believe in Magic!” She then pointed the cane at a dark corner of the room, and local magician, Kevin Owens, appeared, in a puff of smoke and fire, carrying a poster-sized reproduction of this year’s “magic” Souvenir Program Book Cover. As gasps and applause filled the room, Kevin and Elaine met center stage, and the Festival President proclaimed, “Let the 83rd Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival® begin!”

Festival Executive Director, John Rosenberger, later explained to the media that themes had been used sporadically over the years by the Festival; but, the fairly recent tradition of picking an annual Festival-specific theme was not started until the 1999 Festival featured that most iconic American hero: George Washington. The “George” Festival was deemed quite a hit; and, the following year, 2000, had a ready-made theme in the Millennium celebration. In 2001, a Patsy Cline tribute Festival was held featuring one of the Festival’s most famous and enduring tag-lines: “Crazy for the Bloom!” With these three consecutive successes, a new Festival tradition was born. In 2004, Festival Graphic Designer/Webmaster, Erik Zimmerman, added his considerable design skills to the effort for the first time, and has done so each year thereafter for the last 7 theme designs. In 2006, an official logo was produced for the first time. The logo is a much simpler distillation of the complex cover design; and, it is used as a guideline for the design of the Festival pin, Christmas ornaments, and logo-emblazoned clothing and souvenir items. In 2009, Elaine Aikens introduced the concept of a theme with clear cut ties to a popular song. “Do You Believe in Magic!” written by John Sebastian and performed by the 1960s band the Lovin’ Spoonful fits the bill perfectly for 2010.

What is it about the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival® that brings out “the kid” in so many of us? The Festival “feel” is often likened to the feel of Christmas morning. Since we can’t see it; or, put our finger on it; maybe we should just say: it’s MAGIC! Children know that magic is everywhere. They know that elves make toys and that reindeer can fly. They see magic in a black silk top hat, a wand and white gloves. They see it in rainbows and mermaids and unicorns. They see it in wizards and clowns and elephants. They see it in trees choked with blossoms, in the first comforting breezes of spring and in a moon spangled with fireworks and stars. To those adults that truly believe, the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival® engenders all of these feelings. It gives us back our childhood. In these troubled times, reality makes it doubly difficult for adults to get back to that magic place within themselves. It makes us question how something as ephemeral as “the Bloom” can still exist; but, here we are; and, here we will be! “Do You Believe in Magic!” You bet you do!

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