The Orchard at Altapass closed on the last Sunday of October for another season. It was a good year.
In the spring, we began a new tradition at the Orchard—Pipes on the Parkway—recognizing the region’s deep Scots-Irish heritage. The legacy with music, dancing, and fun will continue to be celebrated annually on the first Sunday in June.
Luckily, we dodged most of the frost; early apples began ripening in late July; U-Picking followed and continued to season’s end. As the months wore on, more apples changed from green to red or yellow and filled the trees until the trunks were almost lost from view. And people came to pick their own. “Most later season visitors came for the apples. They brought their children to show them what an heirloom apple looked and tasted like and where it grew. They brought their dogs for long walks on our trails, and they brought their enthusiasm for the outdoors,” said Hilton. “We were truly fortunate to have so many apples. The weather cooperated and the crew worked hard to keep the fields mowed and ready.”
The Butterfly Garden flourished as did our repopulated bee hives. And dozens of monarch caterpillars morphed into beautiful butterflies widening eyes and eliciting ooohs and aaahs from the little ones.
The train project continued its circle around the track. The Clinchfield Railroad planted the Orchard in the early 1900s, making this exhibit fundamental to the Orchard’s heritage and a joy for old and young alike.
The grill opened in June on weekends, offering up huge BBQ sandwiches and other lunch treats, including the Altapass Apple Lemonade—spring leaf green and thirst quenching.
The music hit a high note with genres spanning from the turn of the century to today. We presented two well-received evening performances—Sheila Kay Adams & Friends and Terry McKinney & Friends. And we were honored to host the Fellowship of the Knights, a group of students from the Raleigh Christian Academy, for an early afternoon jazz performance.
