The Apple Blossom Parade kicked off the climax of Westford’s annual Apple Blossom Festival on Sunday, May 17, at 10 a.m. Originally conceived in 1935 as a celebration of local orchards, the Kiwanis Club rekindled this celebration in 1968 to serve as a fundraiser for the community, making this year’s parade the event’s 57th annual occurrence.

The festival has long been appreciated as a way to bring together the communities of Westford and invites many prominent societies, clubs, and organizations to participate in marching the parade. The parade, led by the Westford Police Department (WPD) and the Kiwanis Club, featured many groups this year including but not limited to: the J.V. Fletcher Library, Good Pickin’ Farm, Cub Scout packs 100 and 95, the Girl Scouts of Westford, Westford’s locally elected officials, the Westford CAT, Walking Uncle Sam, the Westford Minutemen, Westford Academy, Blanchard and Stony Brook marching bands, Roudenbush Community Center, Ghost Robotics, the Westford Historical Society, and the Westford Fire Department.

According to Westford Kiwanis treasurer Stefany Eck, over 100 volunteers came together this year including parking aids and the Friends of Apple Blossom, the volunteer group directly tied to the Kiwanis Club, and the Police Amateur Radio Team (PART), who help keep the parade organized over distances, contributing to the sense of community that the parade is known for.

“[The Apple Blossom Festival] is a gathering of the town spirit, it’s such a fun day, the marching band is out and all of these clubs and organizations are pumped,” volunteer Aaron Zhang said. “It’s a heck ton of fun, you get candy thrown at you and you can head right down to the carnival and have yourself a piece of fried dough and a good carnival ride.”

Every year the Apple Blossom Festival has the tradition of acknowledging the people in Westford who deserve further recognition for the actions they have done to serve their community in the form of the S.T.A.R. (Service Together Achieves Results) Award. This year, WA senior Blake Krikorian and Nashoba Tech senior Lena Wilcox were acknowledged by the award.

According to Westford Kiwanis, Krikorian was selected for this award for his commitment to community service through the 50 Legs Foundation and the Be Like Brit Foundation as well as coaching youth basketball. Wilcox was selected for the S.T.A.R. Award for her community service ranging from volunteering at her local library to volunteering at Open Door Theater to help kids with disabilities access the arts and using her skills in Media Broadcasting to film school events.

For many, this sense of town bonding and service to one’s community is what brings people together for the Apple Blossom celebrations, and what makes the festival such an important part of our community’s traditions.

“The parade is a great way to be a part of the community, and see all of the things that the town of Westford has to offer,” WA Marching Band senior Jakoby Dickson said. “It’s also a great way to show the Westford community what the WA Band is, and how much fun we have playing our music.”

Aside from the community-gathering purpose that the festival serves, it has also been used to provide support for students and those in need through a series of projects over the years. According to Westford Kiwanis Club secretary Lori Heyler the student support program has been in place for two years and has raised money for students to have accessibility to basic necessities and has put items like deodorant, toothbrushes, and other hygiene supplies into nurses’ offices in Westford schools. Also, the program raised money to fund a Lego build session in support of neurodivergence.

The funds from the Apple Blossom Festival have also been used to distribute winter coats and gloves to families in need, donate to local food pantries, raise money for Eagle Scout and Girl Scout Gold projects, support a program that installs AEDs, and buy beds for the A Bed for Every Child initiative.