Friends of Pipers Orchard

The fifth annual Festival of Fruit and Piper’s Orchard 120th Anniversary a great success!

On Saturday, September 24th we held a very successful festival, with over 200 visitors, great presentations, apple cider, apple pie, kids crafts, music and a visit to the orchard. The weather was the best we’ve ever had, in the mid 70’s and sunny. We even managed to make the festival very environmentally friendly, due to a total power outage at the park (and surrounding neighborhood) during the festival. Good thing we had a mechanical as well as an electric cider press! Thank you to all the volunteers who helped make the festival a rousing success.

Click here to watch a youtube video about the festival.

Susan Dolan, our keynote speaker, is a historical landscape architect for the National Park Service and gave a fascinating talk about historic orchards in America.

Meanwhile, many hands helped press cider through the mechanical press.

After Susan’s presentation, David Randal Gould, discussed fruit foraging in Seattle. Gail Savina of City Fruit talked about the Seattle Parks orchard stewardship program. And Ken Workman, a descendant of both Chief Seattle and Jesse Hiatt (who discovered the Hawkeye, which became the Red Delicious apple), described the historic Duwamish tribe diet.

Meanwhile, visitors were buying pie and cider at Tillie’s Cafe, apple pies were being judged, kids were making bee houses, music was entertaining the crowd, and visitors were learning the identity of their apples, tasting apples from the orchard, and learning about mason bees and other points of interest.

Finally, it was time to announce the winners of the apple pie contest. First prize was a $50 gift card to Swansons Nursery! Then everyone lined up to buy pie.

In the afternoon, many visitors head up to Piper’s Orchard, where they learned about orchard history, the heirloom variety grapes growing there, permaculture, and organic pest management.

Friends of Piper’s Orchard, City Fruit, and Seattle Tree Fruit Society held the 4th annual Festival of Fruit on Saturday, September 18th, from 10:00am – 2:00pm. It was a big success, with great pies, fresh-pressed cider, information, visitors, and cooperating weather.

The program started with Dr. Bob Norton (a reknowned western Washington apple expert) giving a talk on making hard (and soft) apple cider.

Dr. Bob Norton discusses making cider.

 Meanwhile, apple tasting and cider pressing were going on outside.

The MacLeans provide orchard apples for sampling

Will Morgan feeds the cider press while others examine the output

Kids enjoyed coloring fruit and planting it on the tree

 We also enjoyed listening to Blue Star Creeper.

Blue Star Creeper

Following Dr. Norton’s talk, the pie judging started, and we were introduced to Ken Workman, who is a descendant of both Jessie Hiatt (an Iowan who was the originator of the Hawkeye apple, renamed Delicious) and Chief Seattle.

Ken Workman got Chief Seattle's cheek bones

Next, it was time to announce the results of the pie judging contest. The jury awarded all pies a ribbon, and selected 3 favorites. People lined up to get their pick from Tillie’s Cafe.

After all the pie was gone, people headed up to the orchard to hear presentations about Piper family and orchard history, viticulture and the heirloom grapes planted at the orchard, organic pest management, compost tea at the orchard, and permaculture at the orchard.

Fran Clifton shares Piper family and orchard history.

Andy Zaborski describes what grapes have been planted

We were fortunate to have a group of Boy Scouts help with parking and directions. 

Security staff

Following was the day’s program.

Our third annual festival was a great success, with over 220 attendees and over 20 volunteers. The sun peeked through the clouds at times, and the periodic drizzles didn’t dampen our spirits. The festival took place simultaneously at the Environmental Learning Center, the Lower Meadow and the Orchard.

At the ELC we had informative presentations on viticulture, organic pest management, tree pruning and espalier, and apple varieties, old and new. We also had booths featuring Puget Sound Beekeepers Association, City Fruit, pruning, non-toxic pest management, and orchard management, as well as a kids craft area, apple cider pressing, the pie tasting contest, and Tillie’s Cafe, selling baked treats (apple pies featured), hot dogs, coffee and cider.

In the Lower Meadow, people were able to taste orchard apple varieties, operate the mechanical apple press, and enjoy the tunes from our wandering minstrel.

Up at the Orchard, more apple variety tasting took place, and at the end of the festival, Dr. Bob Norton took attendees on a tour, discussing the varieties.

We really want to thank all the volunteers and folks who attended. We encourage you to get involved in our upcoming orchard work parties.

Celebrate the 3^rd annual Piper’s Orchard Festival of Fruit by joining activities including:

• apple variety tasting
• cider pressing and tasting
• apple pie contest (at noon)
• apple pies and other treats for sale
• presentations on tree selection, pruning, viti-culture, pest management, bee keeping, etc.
• booths from other Western Washington fruit organizations
• fun for children
• visit the orchard

We’re honored to have Dr. Bob Norton, who started a western Washington tree fruit research facility in Mt. Vernon (still active) through WSU many years ago, as one of our presenters.  He will also lead a walk to the orchard. The festival will be held at the Carkeek Park Environmental Learning Center, as well as the Lower Meadow and the orchard. Parking is available at the Lower Meadow, where some activities will be held.

Date and time: Saturday 9/19, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

The schedule for the various locations is as follows:

Environmental Learning Center

• 11:00               Doors open
• 11:10               Welcome
• 11:30 – 12:00  “Growing Good Grapes” – Andy Zebrowski
• 12:00               Pie judging contest
• 12:30               Winners announced
• 12:30 – 1:00    “Non-toxic Fruit Tree Pest Control” – Don Ricks
• 1:00 – 2:00      “Summer Fruit Tree Pruning & Espalier” – David Conners
• 2:00 – 3:00      “Fruit Varieties, Old & New” – Dr. Bob Norton
• Cider pressing
• Children’s crafts 11:00 – 2:00
• Booths and information on orchard history, viti-culture, grafting, beekeeping, pest control, pruning, apple variety identification
• Café opens 11:10 – coffee, pies, hot dogs for sale, cider for sale starting at noon

Lower Meadow

• Cider pressing
• Apple variety tasting
• Music
• Parking available, with shuttle continuously running between meadow and ELC

Orchard

• Friends of Piper’s Orchard will be in the orchard to answer any questions 11:00 – 3:00
• Apple tree variety information
• Apple variety tasting
• 3:00 – Walk to orchard led by Dr. Bob Norton

For more information,  call (206) 684-0877.

Catch the Metro #28 to NW 100^th Place behind QFC and walk a mile to the Carkeek Park Environmental Learning Center from the McAbee entrance.

All ages welcome.

No charge.

Setting Up

Pie Station and Tilley’s Cafe

Fruits of the Orchard

Sampled

Classroom in Action

Tilley’s Cafe

Pressing Apples into Juice

Will Murray ran the press, donated to him by neighbor The Cellar Homebrew, and this was a tasty success

Fun at the kid’s table brought by Cool Moms!

Minstrel

Direction