Bless the Orchards at Virtue Cider's Winter Wassail

You've heard of wassail, the warm mulled cider drink enjoyed during the holiday season and the cold winter months that follow. But maybe you didn't know that wassailing is an old English custom of blessing fruit tree orchards with drinking and singing to ensure a good harvest in the coming year.

For the seventh year, Virtue Cider is hosting its Winter Wassail Festival at its 48-acre farm in nearby Fennville, Michigan. Bundle up and come join in the fun!

At Virtue Cider, they're committed to making proper farmhouse cider from 100% local Michigan apples. Ensuring a bountiful crop is important to their farm and their livelihood. So on Feb. 19, Virtue Cider is paying homage to the tradition of warding off evil spirits from their orchards with a celebration to bless and protect the apple trees. To keep the evil at bay, guests will make and don decorative masks of birds and animals, and then join a music-lead parade through the heirloom apple orchard.

Everyone is invited to participate in the custom of hanging toast on the branches of the apple trees and pouring cider on their roots. This practice encourages the birds to come to eat the toast and nest on the property, which over time, helps pollinate the fruit trees in the area for a 20-mile radius.

Ultimately, the Winter Wassail is a celebration of good tidings, joy, and good farming practices. Partake in the merriment, then warm up by the giant bonfire. Or reserve your own heated greenhouse for a cozy place to enjoy the festivities in this winter wonderland. In addition to mulled cider, Virtue will make its ice cider, FLOK, available at the outside bar, and there will be traditional English fare for purchase.

Come see why the Winter Wassail Festival has become a favorite wintertime event on the western Michigan lakeshore.