National Apple Day, which has become one of the best loved apple festivals in the area, is on Saturday – an event celebrated in Ely in since 2000.

Ely Standard: Isle of Ely School pupils working with Jane Frost to create a woven willow apple to grace this year's Ely Apple Festival on October 21.Isle of Ely School pupils working with Jane Frost to create a woven willow apple to grace this year's Ely Apple Festival on October 21. (Image: Archant)

The festival provides interest and intrigue whether you are interested in the educational, environmental or simply fun angle of the day.

Experts from East of England Apples and Orchard Project will once again be in attendance to identify any apples that you wish to bring along.

It is easier to identify if you can bring part of the stalk and/or leaf as well as the actual apple. So if you have been mystified as to what kind of apples have been growing in your garden all these years, now is the time to find out.

There will be several competitions, candle making demonstrations, birds of prey, storytelling and activities running throughout the day including the ever-popular longest apple peeling competition, apple and spoon races and an apply shy. Yes we pun a lot on apples.

Watergull Orchards, who supply the apples and bottles of juice for the various competitions, will be on hand to talk you through over 25 varieties of apples as well as over 10 varieties of juice and cider.

Ely’s very own Green Man will be making an appearance throughout the day together with Morris dancing and a Mummer’s play.

As you might expect, all our food vendors have an apple twist so from apple teas to pork and apple sausages you can expect a wide variety of apple related culinary delights.

Sponsor Orchard Green, who is responsible for the new community development to the north of Ely, have been working with Jane Frost, a local artist renowned for her work with willow.

She has created a willow apple sculpture with the pupils from Isle of Ely Primary School to be on show at the entrance of the festival.

Founders of Apple Day nationally had the aspiration to create a calendar autumn holiday.

The first Apple Day celebrations, in the old Apple Market in London’s Covent Garden, brought fruit to the market after 16 years’ absence.