by lauryn ricketts

Here we go once again, the most wonderful time of the year! No, I am not talking about Christmas....I am speaking of the one and only Apple Blossom Festival here in my very own Winchester! Not only has this become a tradition for me, it is embedded through the roots of my family. I think since this whole shebang has started, a member of each generation in my family has been lucky enough to somehow be involved with the festival. At one time, my great grandmother lived in one of the most beautiful houses on Washington Street, right on the parade route--unfortunately this was before I was born.....This you can see from the picture below in which my grandfather, James Morgan, was asked to escort Miss Virginia around for the duration of the festival--how lucky. I believe this picture is from Apple Blossom Saturday.

However, growing up in the City of Winchester and attending Handley High School I was fortunate enough to "become" friends with kids who lived on the parade route....believe you me, they are still my friends. I was smart and started really early--I met my first "Apple Blossom buddy" in kindergarten at Frederick Douglass Elementary School.  This is how the conversation went in kindergarten class: "Hey Ashely, my name is Lauryn. Do you wanna play Lincoln logs or play with bottle caps?"  "Oh, you live on the parade route? " "Hmmmm, can I come over for Apple Blossom parade?"

Thank goodness her parents still live in the same house they did when I was in kindergarten, which is a historical house on the parade route. This is how the conversation goes now: "Hey Ashley, your house for Apple Blossom?" "Is your mom making those mini chicken salad sandwiches?" "You mom better be making the chicken salad sandwiches, I'm only coming if she is making mini chicken salad sandwiches." "What, we have to plan your wedding?  I'm a bridesmaid? Isn't that a lot of work, I mean really Ashley, I just wanted to come to your house 24 years ago for the bloom, it's been fun and all but...."

Just kidding, but my how conversations change. Honestly though, I have been so fortunate to have many places to see the parade but I do have to thank the Ashley's parents for putting up with us through middle school, high school, college,  after college, etc.

Through the week I will post pictures of my years through the bloom. Some pictures will show my family before their own "bloom child" was born, some will show the many celebrations of the bloom through my eyes. Stay tuned and you will learn everything you need to know about the bloom from a Winchester native who is on her 24th year in a row for bloom festivities.