A Bright and Cheery Crowd of 35 Enjoyed the First Annual Winter Wassail at the Mt. Joy Orchard on Munjoy Hli Today.  In the Background is Bayview Apartment Building on North Street on the Hill.

Mt. Joy Orchard from Washington Avenue. In the Background is Bayview Heights Apartment Building.

A crowd of thirty-five  (35) hearty people braved the cold, strong wind this afternoon to enjoy the first annual Winter Wassail and a Pruning Workshop hosted by the volunteers of the ten year old Mt. Joy Orchard on Munjoy Hill.

The afternoon began at 2:00 pm with a Pruning Workshop led by Aaron Parker, a professional landscaper and one of the original developers of the Orchard.  Thirty people participated in that workshop.  Later in the afternoon the event moved up the hillside to behind the North Street community garden.  That is  where volunteers  provided mulled cider and hot, homemade soup that took the edge off the cold wind.  Folk songs were song in honor of the fruit trees that bring us joy and health.  A family-friendly event, there were numerous children in attendance.

The group was led by Mark in singing the  Mount Joy Wassail Song:  Old Apple Trees, old apple tree; We have come to wassail thee; To bear and to bow apples enough; Hats full and caps full, we toast to  your health.

Wassail!  Wassail!  All over the town, Our toast it is  white and our ale it is brown; Our bowl it is made of the old maple tree, With the wassaling bowl, we’ll drink to thee.  With the end of this song, this blogger left the happy crowd because she is neither hearty or brave!. .

Mt Joy Orchard was begun ten years ago – in May of 2014, when Jeff Tarling, then city arborist and retired last year, invited sixty students from the East End Community School, directly across the street from the Orchard, to celebrate the completion of the Mt. Joy Orchard.  At that time, there were 45 apple trees in the Orchard.

For more  background information, please visit posts herein dated February 17, 2024 and May 21, 2014.