An annual celebration where local people bring apples for pressing returned to Penarth last week.
It's the first time that Apple Day has been held in the Town since 2019, with hundreds of people, including families and school groups, taking part in the occasion at Belle View Park.
Community groups assembled mechanical apple presses, offered apple-related activities, games for children and homely refreshments, and the event lasted for three hours and produced gallons of fresh apple juice from local apples.
Apple Day in Penarth was made possible by the coming together of many of the town’s vibrant community projects, who pooled resources and volunteer time to create the event. Lots of the equipment – from gazebos to reusable cups – was borrowed from Penarth’s Benthyg project, the local library of things. Excellent support was given by Friends of Belle Vue, who welcomed the event to the park in the town centre, with support from Penarth Civic Society. Local environment groups and two local primary schools led activities at the event, and when not pressing apples or drinking the fresh apple juice, children played happily with outdoor grass games borrowed from the Vale of Glamorgan Play team. An attractive and generous range of prizes for the raffle was donated by local businesses and the Vale Local Nature Partnership.
Orchard Cardiff offered participants a chance to taste different varieties of apples that aren’t usually found in supermarkets. The pressing of the apples was made possible and Sustainable Wick, at the opposite end of the Vale of Glamorgan who loaned their equipment and encouraged communities in Penarth to make the idea a reality.
The community groups who came together would like to extend a huge thank you and offer warm congratulations to all the volunteers from across the town who helped, from baking cakes to supplying coffee, running craft activities, taking pictures, lending last-minute pieces of equipment and, last but not least, helping on the busy apple pressing ‘assembly line’.
Juicing apples takes a lot of work, and thousands of apples were washed, chopped, scratted (mashed up) and pressed to make delicious juice for all to enjoy. Everyone was encouraged to have a go at the various juice-making activities.
The organisers were overwhelmed by how many apples people brought along. It’s been a very good year for apples after the exceptional blossom across the town in spring. But Penarth’s residents showed their generosity of spirit in bringing along large numbers of apples to be pressed. Apple day has shown how much fabulous delicious fruit there is growing right here in the town.
Penarth Apple Day 2025 was organised in partnership between Penarth Civic Society, Gwyrddio Penarth Greening, Penarth Growing Community, Friends of Belle Vue, Friends of the Kymin, Friends of St Joseph’s Park, Perllan Penarth and Penarth Tree Forum.
Haydn Mayo, Friends of Victoria Square said: “It has been a wonderful community event, worth every bit of the energy and effort it took to make it happen!”
Dan Brown, from the Penarth Civic Society said: “I am truly overwhelmed by how much activity was included in the Apple Day and how successful it was. This really shows how a wonderful event like this can really bring our community together.”
Eurgain Powell from Gwyrddio Penarth Greening, who helped organise the event, said: “It was lovely to see the community coming together for Apple Day. The whole day was such a team effort, and the kids loved getting involved in the juicing and tasting the delicious juice from the local apples. What a wonderful day!”
Elen Robert from Friends of the Kymin, who helped organise the event said: “This year’s Apple Day has been everything we hoped it would be. We’re delighted to see such a vibrant and happy celebration of healthy local food and, more than anything, a chance to come together as a community and have some fun! We really want to do this again next year, and we hope even more people in the town will join us!”
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