About

Stoke Gabriel is renowned for its apple orchards and cider. Every year this vibrant community comes together to take part in the ancient Wassail ceremony, which wakes the apple trees from their winter slumber with gun fire and singing, and offerings are made to the spirits of the trees to ensure a bountiful crop in that year's apple harvest.

Stoke Gabriel Wassail on Saturday 20th January 2024, combines this ancient ceremony with a glorious mid-winter folk festival of lantern making, morris dancing, Mummers players, storytelling, folk music, and local drink and food. The mid-winter folk festival will be held in the atmospheric surroundings of Church Walk in the heart of the village. The Wassail ceremony will take place in the community orchard.
Friends of Stoke Gabriel School (FOSS), a charity, organises event with a BBQ. Local food and drink suppliers will be providing refreshments including Hunts Cider.

Stoke Gabriel Wassail begins with a magical lantern procession, led by children with their willow and paper lanterns, through the community orchard. The Wassail singers will accompany the crowd in the traditional tune, 'Here we come a-wassailing'. Once at the oldest tree, our Wassail Queen and King will pour cider over the roots of the apple trees before being hoisted high into the tree to put bread soaked in cider in the branches to feed the robins, the spirits of the trees. Everyone gathers around the trees to sing traditional wassail songs. The dramatic finale is the firing of shotguns to wake the trees from their winter slumber and chase away any evil spirits.

Entertainment is provided by Elfic the Jester, Beltane Border Morris Dancers, the Bovey Tracey Mummers Players, bands and the Wassail Singers. Story telling will take place in the Old School Rooms on Church Walk with Paul Sharman.