This November’s Pollok Community Harvest Festival was a wonderful celebration of everything that makes the Pollok Community so special. One year on from when we got together to plant Pollok’s first community orchard, we gathered once more to celebrate creativity, connection, and a real sense of coming together as the first wintery chill enters the air.
Families, friends, and neighbours gathered to enjoy a day filled with laughter, music, eating, dancing and hands-on fun. Children brought the festival to life with their energy and imagination, with pupils from local school Cleeves Primary doing a showcase to remember about all things orchard. Classes have been participating in a creative residency titled ‘Our Orchard, Our Stories’ in the run up to the event, working with Participatory Artists Roisin McLinden (Drama) and Greer Pester (Visual) to combine inspiring storylines with eye catching props.
The stories they came up with together included ‘Green Red and Pink’, a tale of two rival families and just what magic might happen if you come together, ‘The Immortal Apple,’ about how love triumphs over power, and ‘Apple TV,’ Scotland’s fruity forecast. You can read these below:
Green, Red and Pink
A long time ago, two families planted special apple trees. One tree grew red apples that made you smaller. The other tree grew green apples that made you bigger. Every year, the families had a big apple contest to see whose magic apple was best. Sometimes the red-apple family won, sometimes the green-apple family did. One day, a brave and kind hero from the village had a new idea… to join both trees together. From the grafted tree grew a beautiful pink apple, a mix of both red and green. The pink apple had a special magic – it made everyone feel just right, not too big and not too small. The families stopped fighting, shared their apples, and became friends again.
The Immortal Apple
Long ago, a powerful god dreamed of finding a golden apple that could make them live forever. They wanted the apple so they could be the strongest and never be defeated. After a long and difficult journey, they finally found the magical golden apple. Just before eating it, the god or goddess realised that being immortal meant they would live on while everyone they loved grew old and died. They didn’t want to be alone forever, so they made a brave choice. They chopped the apple into small pieces so that no one could use its power again. The god learned that love and friendship are worth more than living forever.
Apple TV
Studio Reporter: Good evening, and welcome to Apple TV… your one and only fruity forecast from across Scotland, where the apples are wild, the weather is wilder, and the stories are simply delicious!
The Lemon Queen: Sour skies ahead as the Lemon Queen sweeps in… puckering faces and whispering secrets across the orchard! Experts warn that one bite may cause instant squirming and unexpected giggles.
Studio Reporter: A zesty start to the day! Now let’s move over to our next fruity phenomenon…
Tom Montgomery’s Apple: And breaking news… Tom Montgomery’s mighty tree has erupted again, showering the town in a delicious downpour of apples! Locals are advised to grab baskets quickly before the tasty tide rolls on.
Studio Reporter: That’s one bumper harvest! And speaking of heavy hitters…
The Rock Apple: Hold onto your teeth, folks. The Rock Apple rolls in like a champion, the toughest bite in the forecast! Witnesses say even the strongest jaws tremble when this heavyweight hits the scene.
Studio Reporter: Now that’s what I call a powerful produce report! Let’s finish with a sporting update…
The Scott Apple: In today’s sporting outlook, the Scott Apple soars skyward… deciding whether it’s a football or rugby kind of day! Tradition states that whichever way it bounces settles the score for the whole town.
Studio Reporter: What a thrilling forecast from the orchard! Stay tuned for more fruity updates throughout the day.
As well as the marvellous showcase, attendees of all ages took part in heritage apple tasting and juicing, seasonal wreath making and crafts, face-painting, apple cider vinegar making, a community ceilidh with live traditional Scottish music, and outdoor storytelling in the orchard. It was especially heart-warming to see the proud faces of family members as their little ones showed off their talents and creativity throughout the day.
The festival drew upon the abundance of the harvest season, but also the abundance of community – the warmth we create when we come together, especially as the colder months approach. Conversations flowed easily, new connections made, and familiar faces reunited over bowls of warm food, homemade treats, and shared stories. As winter draws near, the Harvest Fest offered a moment to pause, appreciate all we’ve grown together this year, and sow new ideas for the months ahead.
Here’s just some of what some attendees had to say:
“This is magical”
“It has been delightful to dance and chat with others in the community”
“Very welcoming and well organised. Lots of fun things for the kids to do”
“Thanks. I learned how to make Apple Cider Vinegar :-)”
A huge thank-you to everyone who volunteered, donated, attended, or supported the event in any way including our funders and sponsors. Your enthusiasm keeps these community gatherings thriving.
Here’s to many more celebrations that bring creativity, kindness, and togetherness in Pollok. With huge thanks to photographer Eoin Carey for capturing some special moments, take a look below!
