Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-03
THOUSANDS TO SEE
BLOSSOM FESTIVAL
Winchester Host at Annual
Carnival Tuesday and
Wednesday.
au.eial DISPATCH to The Star.


WINCHESTER, Va, May 2.-Cele-
bration Of the eighth annual Shenan-
doah Apple Blossom Festival here,
Tuesday and Wednesday, assumes an
international aspect this year as the
colorful springtime fete will be preSlded
over by a daughter of the British En-
pire, Miss Patricia D.ssMorton OF Win
chester, England, the ancient English
capital for which the Virginia city was
named by its founder, Col James Wood,
native Of the English city.
Miss Morton and her mother, Mrs.
Evelyn Morton Stroud, arrived a day
or two ago from Southampton, and
after being oficially welcomed in New
York, where they made short speech
over the radio came to the apple capt.
tai" where they are being extensively
entertained. The official home OF
Queen Shenandoah VII" is at the
residence of DR.. and Mrs. Hunter H.
MCGUIRE, one Of the landmarks OF the
city
10 States Represented.
Thirteen American States will be rep
resented by princesseS IN the court OF
the festival queen. Most of the prin-
cesSes come from Virginia, but other
States represented are Pennsylvania,
Maryland, Connecticut, North Carolina.
SCUM CdIOllIld, WeSI NASlllld, NALoSAc-
sippi, Georgia, Kentucky, Arkansas,
FLORIDA and the District of Columbia.
In addition to the princesses, there
will be maids of honor, ladies in wait
ing, pages, heralds and court testers, to-
gether with guards CT honor, personal
escorts and other functionaries, giving
the whole gathering the flavor Of old
world royalty. Then, to make 1t more
real, the coronation Of the queen, set
for the afternoon Of May S on the
esplanade of the Handley High Schools
that used in the induction Of Alfred
the Great.
Apple Blossom Crown.
The crown of apple blossoms, set
with jewels, will be placed on the brow
of the queen by Rear Admiral Richard
z. Byrd, famed naval flyer and ex-
plorer, himself q native and resident OF
Winchester. Massed bands will play
during intermissions, and a choir Of
100 from the Harrisonburg State
The coronation will be followed by a
pageant, presented by a thousand school
students, depicting the development OF
the apple industry. 1t will be witnessed
by the queen and her court from royal
boxes and stands. Ffremen OF Virginia
and nearby States will hold an old
time torchlight parade at night. Other
features will be apple blossom balls and
dances, a reception by the queen and
receptions for the princesSes.
The outstanding feature of the Sec
ond and last day Of the festival, fol-
lowing q repetition Of the pageant, will
be the queens parade, called the Trail
of the Pink Petals" which usually
stretches over course Of five miles.
Queen to Ride In State.
Her majesty rides high in state on
q throne Of gold mounted On a silver
colored float, wearing her crown OF
apple blossoms and jewels and arrayed
by maids of honor and personal guards
in Colonial livery. Immediately behind
the queens float come those containing
princeSses and others Of the court.
The royal floats are to be escorted
by a regiment Of United States Marines
from Quantico, Va. Marine band OF
100 pieces, and Marines from the
washington, d. c., barracks, all under
the command Of Erig. Gen. Berkeley,
U; 9. M. G. The Marine guard was
selected as a c0KxF1iment to the queens
stepfather, Lieut. Gen. e. j. Stroud Of
the British Marines. Miss Morton's
father, Capt. Herbert Claude Morton,
was killed In battle during the early
part of the World War.
In the dozen or more divisions Of the
parade win be distributed about IS
bands, bugle and drum corps Of the
American Legion and Veterans Of For
eign Wars from different Eastern States,
military academies cadet corps, student
body Of the Harrisonburg State Teach
ers' College, delegations representing
the Pennsylvania, Baltimore g. Ohio,
Norfolk g. Western and other railroads
and the Fruit Growers Express, about
100 artistic and commercial floats and
decorated motor cars, fraternal organi-
zations and civic, educational and pa
triotic societies and flremen.
Gayeties to Continue.
Gayeties will continue after the queen
and her court review the parade from
the royal boxes erected on the Win
chester Fair Grounds. Many dances
will be held at night, and the royal ball
will be held In the Shenandoah Valley
Academy gymnasium, gorgeously deco
rated for the occasion.
AS festival week is about TO be ush-
cred in, the streets OF Winchester today
took on the holiday and festive garb,
ing and flags and other decorations
being suspended at street intersections.
Recent rains have freShened up
lawns that suffered from the long
drought. and, in the country districts.
hundreds of thousands of apple trees
are bursting into an immense bouquet
Of pink and white. II was said the
blossoms would be at their best May
5 and 8. There are approximately H.
000. 900 apple trees in the Shenandoah
Cumberland Potomac fruit district,
with a million in the vicinity of VIM
chester. central point OF the district.
Six main north-South and east-west
roads converge here, and the Eastern
Apple Capital is easily reached from
all points.