Apple Day Promises Fun Despite Disappointing Harvest
Bring along your fruit for pressing and take part in fun activities
The apple press will be used fruit that is brought along by residents. Picture: Abundance London
August 24, 2026
Apple Day returns to Chiswick Library on Saturday 5 September, bringing its familiar mix of seasonal curiosity and hands-on fun.
The annual apple pressing session remains at the heart of the afternoon, with residents invited to bring along their own fruit to be transformed into fresh juice on the spot from 1pm to 3pm. If the harvest surprises everyone and turns out to be plentiful, the team hopes to keep the press running beyond the official finish time; for now, though, organisers say the trees are looking a little sparse after last year’s extraordinary “mast” season.
Alongside the pressing, visitors can expect the usual assortment of Apple Day traditions. Apple bobbing will be set up for anyone willing to take the plunge, while the longest-peel challenge offers a gentler test of skill. Free juice will be flowing, and free art activities will be available throughout the afternoon, making the event especially welcoming for families.
This year’s programme also includes a practical, nature-friendly project: making insect bricks to create homes for solitary bees and other small creatures. It’s a simple, satisfying activity that ties into a wider conversation about the changing climate — something organisers note has become impossible to ignore, even for “the deniers amongst us”.
After the bumper fruiting of 2025, Apple Day offers a moment to see how local trees have coped with another year of unpredictable weather, and how those conditions will shape the flavour of the juice.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |