​Winchester, VA – Coloring book enthusiasts are in for a special treat this spring thanks to a partnership between the Sherando High School art department and Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival®.  Last year SHS art teacher, Jillian Legge, approached the Festival with the idea of a community project and fundraiser for her students to design a Festival-inspired coloring book highlighting popular Apple Blossom events.  “This project is so much more than just learning in the classroom. It showcases the artistic talent of the students in our schools and helps raise funds for our program. Most importantly, it has been an incredible self-esteem booster for the students and provides an opportunity to bring joy to the community,” Legge stated. The high school art department has a strong need to raise funds for upgrades like new pottery wheels, light tables for image transfers, art supplies, educational experiences, and trips for the students.  Engaging the next generation of festivalgoers continues to be a priority for the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival® and this partnership has opened another door to working with and supporting local students.  This project has proven to be a perfect fit for both organizations.
 
High school participation has been an integral part of the Festival since its inception.  High school bands march in our parades, showcasing their musical talents.  Elementary students sing and perform on stage during the Coronation of Queen Shenandoah. The coloring book project reveals the incredible artistic talents and shares a glimpse of their personal interests.  SHS student, Connor Sanders shared, “In creating the 10K race page, I saw this as an opportunity to combine my love of art with my love for sports. I wanted it to be more than a coloring page, allowing for creative expression where each person can incorporate their own drawings by adding faces to the runners, as well as bib numbers."  
 
Students used a variety of techniques and drawing styles including hand and digitally drawn.  Hand drawn art was created on paper and then digitally uploaded while the digitally drawn art was captured on tablets and computers using a stylus. Some student design inspiration came through shared event and venue photos, while others ventured out to capture photos of the landscape to incorporate into their art.  SHS art student Annalise Sison described her inspiration as, “For my piece in the coloring book, I started by looking up different Apple Blossom parade floats. Once I picked one, I went to downtown Winchester and took pictures of the Handley Library. Using older images of the parade float I chose and my photos of the library as references, I drew out a rough idea of the coloring book page. After that, I uploaded the sketch onto my computer and used it as an outline to draw my final piece digitally on my art tablet through Medibang Paint. I don't have much experience with drawing architecture, so this was a good experience for me, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity!”
 
Twenty-seven Sherando High School artists ranging from freshmen to seniors shared their talents in the production of the Festival coloring book and students approached local businesses requesting their financial support and being distribution outlets for the project.  Four seniors in the art department recognize that they are paving the way for the next generation of art students and helping to enhance the classroom experience.  These seniors understand that this project will support new resources for the classroom for years to come.  SHS Senior Alleigh Nowell stated, "As a senior, I was excited for the opportunity to help contribute to a better art program for my younger brother who will be taking art as a freshman next year."
 
Art students who participated in the coloring book project had such a great experience that many are volunteering at the Festival’s Souvenir Store and helping spruce up the floats for the Grand Feature Parade. 
 
Coloring books will be sold for $10/each.  100% of the proceeds from the sale of the coloring books will support the Sherando High School art department.  Books are on sale at the following locations beginning on Monday, March 20, 2023: Sherando High School, West Oaks Farm Market, Richards Fruit Market, Winchester Book Gallery, Lantz’s Pharmacy and Spring Valley Farmers Market.  Books will be on sale at the Apple Blossom Souvenir Store in the Apple Blossom Mall in early April.
 
Special thanks to the generous financial support provided by Lantz’s Pharmacy, Kingspan, Commercial Press, United Bank, Stephens City Family Dentistry, Gore’s Meats, West Oaks Farm Market, Marker Miller Orchards, Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum and the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival®.

For more information, visit www.thebloom.com. 

Winchester, VA – The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival® is pleased to announce a 30-day fundraising campaign in partnership with Express Feedback for Good.  The goal is for our community to come together and generate over $35,000 – without spending a dime!
Proceeds from the fundraiser will be used to attract high school and professional bands to the Grand Feature Parade and enhance entertainment at Festival events during the 2021 Festival.  Express Feedback for Good is a fantastic – and totally free – way you can help ensure that the Festival can continue its legacy.

Participants are asked to register and complete consumer surveys about national brands covering a variety of industries.  After you sign up, every time you share a brand opinion, you will generate $2.00 for the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival®, and each participant can complete up to 75 surveys.  That is $150.00 for the Festival if participants complete all 75 surveys! Names and emails will not be sold or distributed to any third-party companies – only the Festival will see the personal information.  The campaign is an easy, safe, and free way to make a positive impact on the Festival by spending a few minutes a day to complete surveys.
​
Visit https://bit.ly/Bloom-influ to register to support the Festival.  Participants are encouraged to share the website URL and message with their family and friends.

Background

Express Feedback for Good is a division of HundredX who partners with and advises hundreds of enterprises and investors to capture feedback and brand impression from consumers.  HundredX has developed a safe and easy-to-us proprietary system to capture customer information for their national clients while providing a unique fundraising opportunity through Express Feedback for GoodTM for non-profit organizations.  The Festival is working with National Director of Express Feedback for GoodTM, Nicole Johnson who served as Miss Apple Blossom Festival in 1997, Miss Virginia in 1998 and Miss America in 1999.

Media Contacts:

Bradley S. Veach, Executive Director
Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival®
(540) 662-3863
bveach@sabf.org

Elaine Aikens, Past President
Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival®
(540) 974-6965
elaine@aikensgroup.com

Keep the Apple Blossom spirit alive by celebrating in your home and support the Festival during these hard economic times.

WINCHESTER, VA – Just like other local businesses and organizations, the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival® is struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inclement weather had a devastating impact on Festival finances in 2018 and 2019, and the recent postponement of the 2020 Festival has placed our organization in uncertain times. Regardless of the situation, the Festival and its partners are resilient and stand committed to providing our loyal fans with opportunities to celebrate the arrival of spring and the beautiful apple blossoms – even it if means doing it from home this year.

Join us on Saturday, May 2, 2020, at 1:00 pm, as the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival®, in partnership with Shenandoah University airs a two-hour Tribute Parade showcasing the Festival’s rich history and giving fans an opportunity to help the Festival through an online giving campaign. Supporters are encouraged to keep the Festival spirit alive by hosting a family social distancing parade party at home, decorating your homes in pink and green, dressing up in your best pink and green outfits, sharing your favorite Apple Blossom stories, photos, and videos on social media and inviting family and friends from out of town to tune in to the tribute parade on WDVM TV25 or stream the parade online at thebloom.com.

​Each year the Festival and its volunteers rely on ticket sales, sponsorship and merchandise sales to cover costs. The Tribute Parade celebration includes an opportunity to support the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival® financially through an online giving campaign. 2020 has proven to be financially disastrous, and we need your support as we make plans for 2021. Each year, the Festival provides a positive economic impact to our local economy and many local charities rely on Festival events to raise funds. These worthy organizations include local church youth groups, scouts, civic clubs and other non-profits. Without your support and generosity, we cannot guarantee future Festivals or the type of springtime celebration that we are normally accustomed to.

You may be asking, what should I expect if I tune in to watch the Tribute Parade on May 2? The Festival has years of parade video and photography along with candid celebrity interviews. Our Tribute Parade will include a mix of old and new footage packaged together that encompasses all things, Apple Blossom.

How do I support the Festival during these hard economic times? We know that many organizations and businesses are hurting financially right now, and they are all deserving of your help. As a Festival that has been around for 93 years, we have touched the lives of millions of festival-goers over the years, and we want to be around at least another 93 years, but we cannot do it without your support. As you consider contributing, think about family and friends who have traveled to our community in the past to celebrate with us and ask them for $10, $20, $50 or $100 towards our cause. Ask your friends to form a team to raise funds for the Festival through our GoBloom account or mail in a tax-deducible contribution to the Festival office at 135 North Cameron Street, Winchester, VA 22601.  All of these options are available, and we appreciate your support and generosity. The top fundraiser will receive a landscape makeover valued at $1,500 just before the next Festival in April 2021 compliments of our friends at C&J Lawn Care and Grand Feature Parade seats and catering for up to 10 friends.

Even if you are unable to contribute towards our on-line giving campaign, we want you to enjoy the Tribute Parade on May 2 in the comfort and safety of your home. In uncertain times like these, we are all seeking normalcy and there’s nothing like celebrating 93 years of family, fun, and tradition that is the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival®.