The  Applefest Apple Festival  is now an annual event (going for more than 10 years now) that takes place in the Community Garden on the first SUnday in October each year. This year we gathered a bumper 2000kgs of apples - which would otherwise have gone rotten – which were pressed to produce nearly 1000 litres of apple juice. 

The festival is jointly organised by Abbeyleix Tidy Towns, Abbeyleix Bog Restoration Project Ltd, Heritage House and Abbeyleix GIY. All the fruit provided and used has been sourced from local orchards and gardens. 

A with many initiatives in Abbeyleix, the Applefest was the outcome of a combined effort from all corners and age ranges of the Abbeyleix community. In keeping with the sustainable ethos of the festival all the pulp from the apples was composted or else distributed as feed for hens/ pigs etc. 

The Applefest has been expanded over the years to provide traditional music, crafts (basket making workshop using local willow) and local food producers to set up to sell and promote their local produce.  The pizza oven was a big hit again this year and there was plenty of piping hot pizza (with toppings from the garden) for everyone in attendance.