Firefigther's Parade - Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival 2023

It’s Festival time – again!

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On Saturday, May 3, 1924, the first Festival was a one-day event. To kick off the celebration, the parade assembled at the old fairgrounds just off Fairmont Avenue and marched through the streets of Winchester to the Royal Pavilion on the grounds of John Handley High School. Elizabeth Steck (Arthur) was crowned the first Queen Shenandoah by the Prince of Apple Blossoms. Following the Coronation, a program of interpretative dance was presented to entertain the queen, her court, and those in attendance. Since the beginning, 86 queens have reigned over the Festival. Each Queen Shenandoah has been officially crowned at Handley High School with the exception of Queen Shenandoah LXXIX, Jane Austin Graham, whose coronation was held on May 4, 2007, at Victory Church on Middle Road while the school auditorium was undergoing renovation.