With just a few days left until the highly anticipated 33rd Annual Apple Festival at UBC Botanical Garden, excitement is building fast! Lisa Vogt, Chair of the Apple Festival 2024, has nothing but pure enthusiasm for the event.
“Anticipation!” is what Lisa feels, the most, about this year’s festival. “We’ve got an amazing lineup this year. From the vibrant food trucks offering a delicious variety of culinary treats, to the live music filling the air with festive energy, everything is set to give you a memorable experience. And let’s not forget the ever-popular Tasting Tent, where over 50 different varieties of apples will be available to sample and purchase. It’s all shaping up to be an incredible celebration that promises something special for everyone.”
This year’s festival is expected to be particularly special with several new and exciting features. Lisa highlights a standout addition: “We’re thrilled to welcome the UBC Food Services Executive Chef & Culinary Director, Chef David Speight, and Executive Sous Chef, Darren Clay, who will be doing apple cooking demonstrations with two family-friendly recipes featuring Salish and Ambrosia varieties. Get cooking with your little ones or have them whip up something special for you!”
(L to R) Chef Darren – UBC Food Services Executive Sous Chef, Juliana Campbell – UBC Food Services Community & Admin Coordinator and Chef David Speight – UBC Food Services Executive Chef & Culinary Director.
For those visiting the Garden for the first time, Lisa talks about another 310-metre-long adventure that awaits: “The Greenheart Treewalk is such a thrilling feature of the Garden, offering a spectacular experience for your whole family. It’s a series of canopy bridges high up among the trees giving you a great vantage point of the Garden from a completely different perspective.”
Photography by John Lehmann
We asked Lisa about her favourite feature of the festival and the answer was clear: “I absolutely love the Tasting Tent. With over 50 different kinds of traditional and heritage apples, all grown in B.C., including our own festival introductions like the Ambrosia and Salish apples, it’s going to be a real treat. You’ll also be able to buy bags of these apples and choose from over 50 varieties of apple trees in our apple marketplace. All the apples are picked just two weeks before the festival, so you’re tasting the freshest local pick of the season.”
As we count down the days, Lisa invites everyone to join in the celebration: “We can’t wait to see you at the Apple Festival. To avoid disappointment, buy your tickets online, particularly for the Tasting Tent which sells out early, and then head over to UBC Botanical Garden on October 19th and 20th for a fantastic day filled with family fun, delicious apples, and electrifying community spirit!”
Harvesting support for science
Besides the fun-filled festivities, the Apple Festival also plays a vital role in supporting UBC Botanical Garden. “All of the funds we raise go directly to supporting the Garden,” Lisa explains. “It’s our biggest fundraiser of the year and crucial for advancing our mission to promote biodiversity and connect communities with science. It’s a perfect reflection of what we aim to achieve at the festival—education and fun.”
Click here for more information on UBC Botanical Garden’s Apple Festival or follow us on Instagram.
Written by Maha Husain
Staff-Volunteer at UBC Botanical Garden