September in Edmonton means apple trees heavy with fruit – and often more than a household can handle. Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton (OFRE) wants to turn that abundance into an opportunity for connection, learning, and, of course, cider.
This year marks the inaugural Apple Cider Celebration, a traveling weekend festival hosted by OFRE.
The celebration will become an annual tradition, with new communities featured each year as the sites for cider pressings and orchard blessings.
For this first year, Millhurst, Riverdale, and Avonmore are the proud recipients of the festivities—bringing neighbors together to roll up their sleeves and discover the joy of turning apples into something delicious and lasting.
The festival is designed for all ages, with hands-on cider pressing, orchard blessings, and food skills activities for kids.
Families can learn traditional preservation techniques and enjoy a welcoming, celebratory atmosphere that highlights the season’s abundance.
A Conversation with CBC Radio
To help share the vision behind the celebration, OFRE treasurer Nathan Binnema was interviewed by CBC Radio’s Radio Active.
He spoke about the organization’s roots, its shift toward education, and what Edmontonians can look forward to at this year’s festival.
Here are some highlights from that conversation:
From Fruit Rescue to Education
Founded in 2009, OFRE originally coordinated volunteers to help homeowners harvest fruit they couldn’t manage on their own. But the work quickly grew too big for a volunteer board.
Today, the Leftovers Foundation carries on that harvesting role through its Home Harvest program, while OFRE has shifted to focus on education through food preservation workshops and community events.
“The name ‘fruit rescue’ was just too good to let go of, even though it’s a little less accurate now,” says Binnema. “Our mission today is to teach people how to process and preserve the local fruit harvest.”
Apples, Apples Everywhere
One of the joys of the Apple Cider Celebration is seeing just how much fruit comes from Edmonton’s backyards.
Many residents inherit apple trees when they buy their homes, often without realizing just how prolific those trees can be.
“People are donating apples for the event, and we’re really happy with the amount we’ve received,” Binnema explains. “The challenge now is pressing them all in the time we have – which is a great problem to have.”
From Orchard to Jug
At the heart of the festival is the cider-making process itself.
Apples are crushed, pressed, and collected into half-gallon jugs. Participants get to see the transformation firsthand and even take part in operating the barrel-shaped presses.
“The primary thing we’re making is apple cider,” says Binnema.
“It’s simple, delicious, and a great starting point. From there, people can go on to make vinegar or even ferment it.”
Reviving Old Traditions
Adding to the festivities is an “orchard blessing,” inspired by an old English ritual.
“We found that the term comes from the Christmas carol Here We Come A-Wassailing,” says Binnema.
“It was a tradition where people would pour cider and sing to the apple trees in return for their blessings and continued generosity. We thought we’d revive that.”
Why It Matters
For Binnema, events like this go far beyond cider. They’re about reducing food waste, strengthening food security, and building community.
“It gets people connected with their neighborhoods and their trees,” he says. “The only way we can process all these apples is with groups of people coming together to run the presses. It’s about cooperation as much as it is about cider.”
Join the Celebration
Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton’s Apple Cider Celebration is three weekends of apples, community, and hands-on harvest fun.
The first event kicked off September 6 at Millhurst Community League, followed by Riverdale and Avonmore later in the month.
As you can imagine, an undertaking to press 5000 pounds of apples needs volunteers to do is successfully. Each event requires up to 20 people to wash and cut apples, press them and serve juice to everyone.
If you can lend a hand, please reach out via our contact form.