Sam Snead (1912-2002)   The son of a poor Virginian farmer, Snead lived a childhood typical of any boy growing up Read more...	Pocahontas (1595-1617)   Pocahontas was an Indian princess, the daughter of Powhatan, the powerful chief of the Algonquian Indians Read more...
Patsy Cline (1932-1963)   PATSY CLINE, (Virginia Patterson Hensley), was born in the Shenandoah Valley Read more...	Ella Eitzgerald (1917-1996)   Ella Jane Fitzgerald was born in Newport News, Virginia on April 25, 1917. Dubbed "The First Lady of Song," Ella Read more...
William Styron (1925- )   The work of William Styron, which includes novels such as "Sophie's Choice" and " Read more...	Patricia Cornwell (1956- )   Patricia Cornwell was born June 9th 1956 in Miami, Florida. 1984 she took a job in the Virginia medical examiner's Read more...

Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival

Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival celebrates the advent of Spring in Winchester on the first weekend in May. It is one of the oldest civic celebrations in Virginia. It was officially started in April 1924. The motto of Apple Blossom is "bounties of Nature are the gift of God." Planning for Apple Blossom is done by 2500 volunteers and 4 full-time staffers. The festival is known as "the bloom" by locals. It is estimated that 250,000 people watch the Grand Feature Parade. The largest display of firefighting equipmemnt in the country can be seen at the Firefighters Parade during the festival. The City of Winchester looks the other way and allows civic organizations and church groups to set-up and rent-out chairs along the parade route, an illegal activity according to local ordinances.