There'll be all kinds of apple-themed fun at Haney House soon with the Maple Ridge Museum preparing to host its annual Apple Harvest Festival.
This event is put on as part of the BC Culture Days celebration, which includes hundreds of cultural and historical events across various B.C. communities.
Museum community engagement coordinator Abby Lizee explained that the Apple Harvest Festival is a way for people to discover the roots of an industry that was vital during the early days of Maple Ridge.
"This event celebrates Maple Ridge's apple-growing history with displays, historical information, tours of Haney House, demonstrations, crafts, lawn games [weather permitting], and samples of apples from Haney House's own orchard," said Lizee.
The city's apple-growing roots date back to the late 1800s, when settler Samuel Robertson would row back and forth across the Fraser River in order to plant apple trees on the Katzie and Kwantlen territory.
When the B.C. government began selling off some of the Indigenous land, Robertson was quick to purchase the section of land where he had been planting apple trees for years, in the area which is now known as the Albion Flats.
Robertson continued to develop his orchard throughout the years, creating a thriving cider-making business. His ventures into apple growing were later joined by fellow influential settler Thomas Haney, who had his own orchard beside his home, which is the current Haney House.
To help celebrate the important role that apples played in the city's formative years, the museum is inviting the public to come visit Haney House, where they can see several trees from Thomas Haney's time that are still standing around the property.
In addition to displays of various apple products made from Haney House apples, there will also be a live fruit press demonstration at noon.
Attending the event is free, with plenty of apple-related fun to go around at Haney House from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6.
