OUR BEGINNINGS
The Origins of Ontario's Premier Fall Festival
The Wellesley Apple Butter and Cheese Festival, running since 1976, was formed by members of the Board of Trade. With the help of the Elmira
Syrup Festival and the New Hamburg Quilt Auction, the new festival was formed
using the best of these two festivals and implementing their local flavour. The
festival was formed to promote the town of Wellesley, as well as its major
businesses, A.W. Jantzi & Sons Ltd (Wellesley Brand Apple Products) and the J.M.
Schneider Cheese Factory. Relying on all volunteer workers, the festival has
grown to be one of Waterloo County's most popular events.
With the help of local service clubs, organizations and churches, several booths
are operated on the street mall with all profits going to the festival committee
for distribution: the Board of Trade runs a pancake and sausage breakfast, the
Lions Club sells sausage on a bun, the Optimists run a wet booth with schnitzel
on a bun, the Lutheran churches sell apple dumplings, and Mennonite churches sell
apple fritters. We also serve a
smorgasbord dinner serving Waterloo County home cooking, such as pigtails,
spareribs, sauerkraut, and roast beef. Free tours to specialty farms and the
A.W. Jantzi Cider Mill, with free samples of food and drink available at the
cider mill. We draw over 100 competitors to our Horseshoe tournament, with many
of the top players from Canada and the United States competing. We provide
ongoing street entertainment using talent from the surrounding area. Our quilt
auction attracts buyers from as far away as the USA. All quilts are donated by
local churches and senior citizen groups. Craft demonstrations include quilting,
soap making, bonsai tree making and apple crafts. Our vendors market is a main
attraction for its crafts and foods. When the weather cooperates, our antique
car and tractor display and parade draws over 100 vehicles for our visitors. And
the regatta of remote-control boats runs all day long on the Wellesley pond.
The proceeds from the festival are used for major projects within the village of
Wellesley. Funds have been used for building an arena, buying parkland, building
a ball diamond and soccer field, paving the parking lots at the arena and
community centre, uptown beautification through proper curbing and brick
sidewalks, buying equipment for the fire department, renovating the community
centre with a new kitchen and air conditioning, renovating the arena and
installing new flooring in the dressing rooms.