The Bowen Island Heritage Preservation Association, also known as Bowen Heritage, is a group of Bowen Island volunteers dedicated to helping to preserve the cottages, apple trees and history of Davies Orchard and celebrate and raise awareness about local heritage on Bowen Island.
Bowen Heritage has a small, caring, new board of volunteers who are learning the ropes, working with Metro Parks.
We are keen to host a year of activities for the community to promote awareness of Bowen’s heritage and to preserve, celebrate, educate and engage people in the heritage gems that are still in Davies Orchard, nestled in Crippen Park in Snug Cove.
The theme this year is old and new apples and thanks to support from the Knick Knack Nook, we have received a grant to help with a full slate of activities. Our first event is for all ages is April 27 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.: the Apple Blossom Festival. It will be in the orchard behind the Seabreeze building and Tuscany, down Cottage Lane.
Davies Orchard, home of heritage apple trees planted in 1887, will be in stages of bloom throughout April. We would like to invite you to visit the orchard to take photos of the blooms, write poetry and generally to get inspired by the beauty of the old cottages and the apple trees, some of which are over 130 years old. This event starts the growing season and is the new counterpart to our traditional fall Applefest harvest event.
On April 27, we will have a Rocking Horse Tea House serving tea in heritage outfits in the Information Cottage, as well as a new heritage textile exhibit and the Museum Cottage will be open as well. There will be a mini farmers’ market and seedling sale as well.
Local artist and new co-president of Bowen Heritage, Vikki Michele Freckelton is leading a parasol apple blossom painting workshop. Eight spots are available between 10 and 10:30 a.m. and another eight between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. For youth age 5+, it’s $15 per 24” parasol, which you keep and take home as a usable work of art.
This is a small, old-fashioned Bowen event created with heart and the caring hearts and helping hands of the community, just like in the good old days.
For more information about the event, Bowen Heritage, to volunteer for the event, to reserve a spot at the mini market, to busk, to help with kids games or to register for the parasol activity, please email bowenheritage@gmail.com or phone Sarah Haxby, the other new co-president of Bowen Heritage at 604 947-9952.
