Apple festival

We’ve all heard of the Lemon Festival© in Menton, the Tomatina in Buñol (Spain) and now that there are apple growers in the Mirepoix area, why not hold an apple festival in the medieval town? This initial idea quickly evolved into a challenge launched by the Mirepoix shopkeepers’ association in 1997 to liven up the charming bastide during the autumn season and celebrate locally-produced apples. The dynamic“Mirepoix en avant” collective, led at the time by its president Norbert Ruiz, decided to create a sensation for the launch of this celebration. They set out to find the 10-metre-high metal Eiffel Tower, used 10 years earlier by Ariège’s artisan bakers for the world’s tallest pièce montée competition, and to use it again. Once the 3-part structure had been located, volunteers carefully dressed it with 2 tons of apples. But on the eve of the festival, as the tower’s components were being positioned one on top of the other, the volunteers were shocked to discover that the whole structure was collapsing under the weight of the fruit! Indeed, the apples are much heavier than the cream puffs! A dedicated mason rushed to the scene to build an invisible reinforcement overnight to hold the structure together. Phew! In the early hours of the morning,“the capital of good apples” sees its fruit-covered tower pointing proudly skywards; the first edition of the Apple Festival is officially launched, and it’s a success! Today, apple growers in the Ariège and Aude regions of France donate 6.5 paloxes of fruit to decorate the structures and 2 paloxes to make apple juice. When the festival is over, the apples are redistributed to charities such as Restos du cœur, Secours Catholique and the Red Cross. The years go by, but the spirit of the Fête de la Pomme remains the same: enjoy good products, share and waste nothing!