05/29/2026
In the 1920s, the Wenatchee Blossom Festival was a popular and fun opportunity for the town to celebrate their growing community. A town that was growing both food, and population! At the time, Wenatchee was rapidly establishing itself as one of the most important fruit-growing regions in the United States, and these historic Apple Blossom floats like the one shown in this photograph were one of the defining visual spectacles of the festival.
These handmade but elaborate rolling stage sets were often covered almost entirely in real blossoms, crepe paper flowers, tissue fringe, greenery, and hand-built sculptural elements. Many were built collaboratively by orchard companies, women’s civic clubs, schools, service organizations, and churches.
The festival also developed a whole support infrastructure around the floats. The “Applarians,” a volunteer booster organization founded in 1958, became responsible for transporting and maintaining royalty floats as they traveled to other festivals around the Pacific Northwest representing Wenatchee.
Nearly a century later, the Washington State Apple Blossom Festival is still celebrated every spring in Wenatchee. While today’s festival includes concerts, carnival rides, car shows, and massive parades that draw visitors from across the region, traditions like the community-built floats and festival royalty continue to connect modern celebrations to the festival’s early roots in orchard culture, local industry, and civic pride.
Image: Blossom Festival, Wenatchee, Wash., May 1926. Wenatchee Milling Company parade float, Wenatchee Blossom Festival, Wenatchee, Chelan County, WA, May 1926. Float has model of a home and barn. Under the home is a sign, "Peach Blossom Flour in every kitchen." Under the barn, "WEMCO Feed for every feed in purpose." WEMCO was the product name for feed manufactured by the Wenatchee Milling Co. Young girls are seated on the front and rear of the float. Simmer Studio, photographer. Catalog ID: 2021.25.3.2
